White Savages in the South Seas (Paperback: 216 pages)

Enhanced Muze Note

Kernahan is not the first writer to describe the devastating impact of Western culture on Oceania, and to debunk the perennial myth of a South Seas paradise....Those new to the South Seas, however, will gain some insight through Kernahan's sensitive portrayal of the islanders and their ambivalent reaction to colonization....Kernahan reveals compelling images of a once noble race surrendering a culture and way of life that graced some of the most beautiful places on earth....Kernahan wisely refrains from offering solutions to problems which she perceives in the islands. She does, however, provide an astute observation on what to expect from a visit to them. It is this: 'Paradise is in the eye of the beholder with a return ticket.'