
A Samoan mother, Puapa’e (Pua) Pepe – Folau who lives in Sacramento California USA, has dedicated her novel “O Le Aitalafu Ua Le Uma Na Totogi” to her late grandmothers Puapa’e Pepe and Foai Magalo, both of Toamua.
Pua said the novel is set around the era of the Spanish influenza in 1918 where the main character of the book Foine struggled to help her family survive the most difficult times of the epidemic where 22 per cent of Samoans died.
The author told Talamua online, “Foine witnessed the devastation of her families, friends and neighbours as the death toll continued to rise daily and Foine faced a number of crises in the struggle to help reduce the mortality rate in the islands.”
Both Pua’s grandmothers lived around that time and their village of Toamua was one of the places “where the dead bodies from neighbouring villages were dumped in a “Deep Coral Pit” or Umu Gamu..
Pua worked on the book for almost a year and two months.
At her family reunion in New Zealand last month, Pua decided it was an ideal gathering to launch her book which was published by Outskirt Press at Colorado, and also in time for the celebration of Mother’s day.
Pua’s education started at Faleata Primary School then Faleata College after which she completed teacher training at Samoa’s Teacher Training College.
She earned a Bachelors of Education at the University of Hawai’i and later graduated with a Masters of Education from the San Diego State University.
After teacher in Samoa, Pua migrated to American Samoa where she taught from 1985-1998.
She was a Vice Principal from 1999 – 2004 and served as principal in 2005 and 2006.
The 56 year-old Pua has published another book called Touched By Grace.