abecedarian
Well-Known Member
The Book of Puka-Puka is the memoir of Robert Dean Frisbie, an American who 'gave up' civilization to live a life of great adventure in the Cook Islands during the early years of the 20th century. Besides Frisbie's tales of hunting great sea turtles, and finding love among the natives, he evaluates and defends the old Polynesian marriage and courtship practices. He also notes the problems caused by well-meaning missionaries who did not understand those practices. I'm still only half-way throught the book, but its an interesting read and I'd say its worth the time and energy to locate a copy.