The Tonga-Palagi story begins with a mother wanting her children to see themselves reflected in print

Fiana Tuakoi
photo: Courtesy of Gemma Finlay

New Zealand author Feana Tu’akoi’ said when her children were young, there were no books by or about Tongans in the house.

Her husband is Tongan and she is “Irish, a little Scottish and Welsh, and I think maybe even a little English”.

So she started writing about things that meant something to her family; now, her latest work is Legendary Ropinitells the story of a Tongan-Palagi (European) boy who is a perfectionist and unaccustomed to facing failure.

“Our children were very close in age, so they were all pre-schoolers at the time, and at the time, we couldn’t find any books, by or about Tongans, not even Tongan legends,” she said.

“There was nothing. So as far as books were concerned, kids like us didn’t exist. I felt very strongly that all children should be able to see themselves represented in print.”

Tu’akoi cites American researcher Dr Rudin Sims Bishop, who says books can be mirrors, reflecting our lives, windows, allowing us to see other realities, and sliding glass doors, allowing us to enter other worlds.

“Well, for our children, books are never mirrors. They are always windows.”

“So I just wanted stories that would be like a mirror for them. So, I started writing things that were meaningful to us as a family, whether they were Tonga-specific or not.”

Her current work includes Writing for Two Children and adults, including “Ready to Read” in school journals, poetry, and creative non-fiction prose.

“I don’t think too much about the reader when I write. I just write about things that interest me, my theory being that if it interests me, it will interest other people too; but I think, really, it’s suitable for children as well as adults.

“Adults Read lots of teen fiction There’s also a lot of (teen) fiction, so yeah, I think you’re always aware that everyone is reading it.”

Tu’akoi’ says it’s ‘adorable’ for Tongan children to read her book books.

“I feel happy when I think about these kids seeing something they recognized in the book.

“Because for me, when I was growing up, it wasn’t a big deal. I thought books were written by dead people and all the characters said things like ‘very interesting’ and ‘quite’.

“I love seeing kids see things they recognize and realize that books are for them and that their stories are just as important as anyone else’s.”