The Trembling of a Leaf / Little Stories of the South Sea Islands

William Somerset Maugham was a British playwright, novelist and short story writer. He was one the most popular writers of his time. During the First World War, he was part of the Red Cross and the ambulance corps, and then was recruited into the British Secret Intelligence Service. During and after the war, he travelled voyages to the Pacific Islands and the Far East from where he got his inspiration to write many books about the life in those places.

This book represents a collection of eight short stories that are really easy to read and understand. Set around the western islands of Samoa which were occupied by New Zealand and Britain, we read about the life of the people there. The author describes the island life, which faced with the colonizers is tamed and the islanders are civilized. But, the author also shows us a reverse picture of a native transported to Britain who finds and oppressive culture and destroys it.

Also, the author describes the islanders in the way they really are – people with relaxed morals, at the same time reflecting on the racism regarding the love between the natives and the Caucasians.

In this book you will find stories about a competition between two officials, a social rebellion, about marriage between people from different cultures and other stories that reflect the life in the tropics.