Read Around the World December 2022 – Fiji

Map link https://adeproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/fiji-map.jpg

Fun facts from this website:

• Fiji has 333 islands
• Only 110 islands have people living on them
• The International Dateline passes through the island of Taveuni. There’s a place there where you can stand in today and tomorrow at the same time!
• The TV show, Survivor, is filmed in Fiji
• Most airports on the islands have grass runways – only four out of the 28 runways are paved!
• The capital of Fiji is Suva and it’s on the island of Viti Levu
• Fijians used to be cannibals a long time ago
• You can still buy “cannibal forks” in souvenir stores
• There is a Fijian myth that coconuts have eyes and wait for certain people to fall on. If a coconut falls on you, you will have bad luck for several days
• The most precious gift given to a Fijian is the tooth of a sperm whale
• There is one venomous snake in Fiji, the sea snake, however, they cannot break through human skin to bite you even if they were interested

I chose to visit Fiji via the originally titled Fiji by Lance Morcan. This is a historical romance set on the Fijian island of Viti Levu among the Qopa fishermen of Momi Bay.

A missionary, his daughter and a white trader get caught up in a tribal war between the Qopa and the outcasts (a group of cannibals living in the mountain) While the missionary is trying to bring the word of God to the Qopa the trader is bringing something much more deadly guns.

Warfare breaks out and the white visitors find themselves caught up in a savage battle which will cost many lives. Thrown into the mix we have a jealous spirit talker and a philandering cockney. All of which adds up to a rip roaring tale of love and daring do, which includes references to some of the fun facts above.

This was an enjoyable enough read once you got past the stereotypes.

Did you join us on our journey? What did you read?

Next up 2023 takes us to Mexico share your reading plans.