Sons for the Return Home by Albert Wendt. Vilsoni Hereniko, Ed. Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press, 1996. 218 pages, paper $12.95.

Images and events from our past can ironically haunt our present life, defining who we are and who we are to become. This pervading power of the past is evident in Albert Wendt's Sons For the Return Home. By weaving the past with the present, the author reveals how the two are intertwined. From the opening line, the reader is struck with the feeling of alienation, of going through the motions of life without knowing the purpose. Are you to fulfill the plans and dreams of your family or become who you want to be? Wendt seems to say that to know who you are, you must face the past, understand how it shaped you, and finally move beyond its constraints.

In facing the past, Wendt explores the traditions and importance of the familial ties in Samoa. Wendt condescendingly describes the wonderful life in Samoa through the mother. The storytelling is a Samoan Aesop's fables. It is designed to teach the sons how to be "proper" Samoans. The exaggerations of how everything is perfect in Samoa gives us a glimpse of the blind pride people can feel toward their homeland. Especially evident is the tendency to romanticize one's culture when living among strangers, making the past become a more powerful force in daily life. The reason the family moves to New Zealand is to give the sons a good education. But it goes beyond a simple education; there is an expectation that the youngest son will become a doctor in fulfillment of a family tradition. Again, the pressures of life come from the past.

Wendt seems to say that death has a strong influence on reality, and not merely death, but killing as well. This is a recurring theme in the book. From the pig, to the abortion, and the revelation of the grandfather's story in the coconut grove, Wendt exposes the reader to this idea. This influence is not limited to physical murder. The psychological murder of true love is repeated through generations of racist beliefs by both palagiand Samoans is a betrayal of those you care about because you fear what others will think. Wendt says this is wrong, and the only way to break free from it is to bring it out in the open and try not to repeat it.

Racism is a part of the power of the past; it permeates our entire being and creates a stench that can never be erased. It is a product of the stories we tell each other. By focusing on how good one culture is, other cultures are made to look weak. The condescension in language promotes the feeling of superiority, but repeating racial stereotypes creates a vicious cycle of more racism. Wendt seem to say that only with a conscious change can racism be altered, but that it will never be eliminated. It determines the way all of the characters relate to one another. Whether with aloofness or hostility, all of the reactions are due to racist beliefs.

Christianity is such a central part of Samoan culture; it is an obvious power of the past. If a Samoan does not participate in the religion, his social status and that of his family is affected. An effect on their daily lives is a requirement that each family make a public donation to the church as proof of its "genuine alofa for God." Anyone who is not Christian is considered to be a pagan. Wendt seems to say that the hold religion has is one of guilt.

The past influences who we are and how we relate to others. But the question must be asked, is who we are predetermined by the past? How much of who we are is due to genetics? The younger son's personality and looks are like the grandfather. In finding out who he is, the younger son must learn the truth of his grandfather's life and death. Through the knowledge he gains, he accepts who he is. Wendt seems to be saying that our past is mimicked by the selves we are today.

Wendt's belief that a person must move beyond the past is evident in the freedom the characters express after facing their past. He seems to say that one becomes stagnant if the past is not confronted. Guilt is the emotion that the past preserves; it is not limited by culture or country. It causes the past to haunt our lives. Forgiveness of others and of one's self is the only way to break free of the past and to allow love to heal.

Respect for tradition and of ancestors is predominant in the cultures of the Pacific Islands. Wendt builds this story upon that basic custom, exploring the many ways the power of the past influences our daily lives. In the very end, he seems to be saying that a choice must be made whether to allow this to continue or to break from the mold. The first offers the comforts of knowing what to expect; the latter leaves you free, but alone.

In my experience, this power of the past is used in many cultures to maintain order and Cultural identity. Things are done a certain way because that is the way it has always been done. Wendt's analysis of how pervasive the past is on daily life is so precise. It is a part of every action and every emotion. In the last chapter, he is observing the new immigrants through the eyes of the experienced. He recognizes that their belief that "they would return unharmed, unchanged, rich" is false. It is impossible to escape from change, but it is possible to live with it. As each moments passes, a new past is created.