Title: House of Skin
Author: Kiana Davenport
Nationality: American
Year: 2010
Publisher: Kiana Davenport
Length: 200+ pages
Rating: 8/10
Summary: Wonderfully evocative short fiction
The outline
Kiana Davenport’s award-winning short stories about life on the Pacific islands are brought together in a single volume for the first time.
Sample
They ran silently in single file, the bush so thick they moved by intuition. By morning they would be missed in their village, and by noon they would dwell in the mouths of elders as curses. Darkness hid a wall of matted spider webs that flung them backwards to the ground, and Kona wept because she was young and terrified. Eva comforted her as they lay watching flying-foxes like rags in brief ellipses through the trees.
"We are going to die," Kona said.
Eva shook her gently. "No! We are going to be famous." What she meant was that they were going to be remembered and hated.
The verdict
This is a wonderful collection of elegant literary short stories that seamlessly transported me to places I have never been. Davenport is Hawaiian and her stories focus on women’s searches for identity across the Pacific, revealing life stories that are exotic in their setting and customs while remaining familiar in their emotional resonance.
I enjoyed all the stories but my favourite was The Lipstick Tree, about a young woman’s quest to break away from her tribe in the forests of Papua New Guinea and become part of the westernised world. I would also strongly recommend, War Doll Hotel, about a Hawaiian woman’s battle with her past in New York, and Her Walking Stick, about a Vanuatuan woman’s revenge on her lazy daughter-in-law.
This is a very good introduction to Davenport’s work and I am keen to now read one of her novels.
Thank you so much for endorsing my book HOUSE OF SKIN, but more than that for enjoying it. If you have any questions on writing that I can answer, please go to my Amazon Kiana Davenport Author Page. I am trying to 'pay it forward,' helping writers like Joe Konrath helped me. Wishing you much joy and success in reading...and writing! With my alohas, Kiana Davenport
ReplyDeleteThank YOU, Kiana, for writing such wonderful stories. I'm looking forward to reading more of your writing in future.
ReplyDeleteDear Oracle.. Hello again! .I'm trying to find your name and title of your books!
ReplyDeleteSince you were so supportive with my last book, I wanted to let you know I have just uploaded my second ebook, a follow-up to HOUSE OF SKIN. The title is CANNIBAL NIGHTS, PACIFIC STORIES, Volume II on Kindle and all other apps. It continues stories set in hawaii, and across the Pacific. And is my best, best writing. Please email me to tell me what your novels are.
Would love to read. Thank you again, and alohas...Kiana
kianadavenport@aol.com
Website - http://www.kianadavenport.com
Blogsite - http://kianadavenportdialogues.blogspot.com