Kava in the Blood

In 1987 Peter Thomson served as permanent secretary to Fiji's governor general between the country's two explosive coups d'etat. In this book he interweaves the inside story of the governor general's efforts to restore parliamentary democracy and the rule of law with a vivid account of his own life growing up in Fiji and the love that experience inspired - from a colonial childhood to a colourful career in government service. When Thomson is imprisoned by the Fiji army for his role in defending the legality of the governor general's office, he is confronted by, and comes to terms with, the reality of the non-indigenous person's position in the South Pacific. The book examines why Colonel Rabuka and the indigenous Fijians acted the way they did during 1987, and why, when all the conditions seemed poised for it, Fiji did not go down the bloody route of Bosnia or Rwanda. It looks at the role of the British monarchy in Fiji's hour of crisis and the muddled reaction of the governments of Asutralia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom to the Fiji trauma. Entwined through the author's reportage of the coups is an evocative picture of life in the islands. Thus, "Kava in the Blood" is also an intriguing story of hurricanes, haunted houses and copious kava consumption, set within the dramatic landscapes and vibrant cultures of the Fiji Islands.