Earlier in the week, I shared my review of Everett Peacock's The Parrot Talked in Chocolate, the first in his series of books focusing on a Hawaiian Tiki-bar owner. As I mentioned in that review, we discover a little slice of paradise in Tiwaka's Bar and, through reading the novel, learn to step back from our manic must-do-everything-right-now lifestyle, slow down and savour the beauty of each moment.
It took me a while to get into the right mindset so when I finished The Parrot Talked in Chocolate, I decided to go back to back and continued straight on with the second tome, In The Middle Of The Third Planet's Most Wonderful Of Oceans. How's this for the perfect location for reading it?! It came along with us on our day out at the beach and I read a few pages while the kids played happily in the sand - bliss !
In a nutshell, it's more of the same with a little bit more. We instantly rediscover the chilled out attitude and the slightly eccentric characters of Tiwaka's Bar but this time, the action does get slightly further afield. Not that far - it stays on the island but does go slightly beyond the immediate location of the bar, coconut grove and surfers' beach.
In this episode, Cupid has fired his arrows into the tiki bar and the action (what little there is) focuses on getting loved up and organising the perfect Hawaiian wedding ceremony. The tone of the book changes slightly and shows that, in spite of the paradisiacal setting, things can go wrong and tragedy can still strike. Storytelling by the campfire reveals a tragic tale of life cut short and the darker side of the island's drugs underworld. But, as if to counterbalance this, we also get a glimpse of Hawaiian magic and mysticism, when help is at hand from an unlikely source after a potentially lethal wipeout at the surfers' cove.
There was only one section I wasn't keen on, when the Bartender (it was only when writing this review that I realised I don't know what his name is - I don't think it's given in the books) heads off to a New Age festival and listens to one of the speakers. It all gets a bit far out and my mind had reached a chilled out, happy place that couldn't be bothered with trying to figure out all the mystic babble ! I guess that means that the book has done its job though - my attitude was forget the brain sprain, skip a few pages and lets get another Coco Loco Moco instead !
Speaking of which, the book ends with seven Tiki drink recipes so if the writing hasn't chilled you out enough, the cocktails will certainly finish the job !
star rating : 4/5
RRP : £7.40
- Paperback: 324 pages
- Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (18 Sep 2010)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1453807233
- ISBN-13: 978-1453807231
- Product Dimensions: 22.9 x 15.2 x 1.9 cm
Disclosure : I received a review copy of the book.
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off on my holibobs soon with a 3 hour transit in Barbados, looking for some light reading to enjoy whilst slumming it on the sunbathing deck!!!! Those Bajans think of everything!!!!
ReplyDeleteThis is going in my bag
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