White Shadows in the South Seas

"White Shadows in the South Seas" by Frederick O'Brien is a travel book that tells of the author's year living with the Marquesan people on Hiva-oa. O'Brien wants to share what he saw and felt as he lived among a different culture and saw amazing landscapes. From the start, he sets the scene, describing leaving Tahiti on a boat called "Morning Star," with sad goodbyes from the local women. He thinks about his desire for discovery, stirred by stories he had heard about far-off islands and old ways of life. As the boat travels into the huge Pacific Ocean, he thinks about how alone the Marquesas are, and how some old cultures have survived. This gives a hint of the interesting times he is about to have as he checks out the islands.