Tales of the Tikongs

Satire Fiction Literary Fiction Short Stories

Description

Set across a vividly imagined South Pacific, this lively satire follows a familiar cast of contemporary characters—multinational experts, religious fanatics, con men, “simple” villagers, and corrupt politicians—whose competing motives collide in everyday life. Through a series of sharply observed episodes, the book exposes how power, belief, and self-interest shape communities, often with absurd consequences. With Hau‘ofa’s distinctive wit and clear-eyed comic range, the stories turn a “tiny world” of flawed personalities into a mirror for larger social realities. Blending humor with social critique, it explores themes of identity, exploitation, hypocrisy, and the resilience of ordinary people navigating systems that rarely serve them.