Book description
By his own reckoning, John Kneubuhl was "the world's greatest Swiss/Welsh/Samoan playwright." The son of a Samoan mother and an American father, Kneubuhl's multicultural heritage produced a distinctive artistic vision that formed the basis of his most powerful dramatic work. Born and raised in Samoa, Kneubuhl attended school in HonoluluâŚ
- Coming soon!
Why read it?
1 author picked Think of a Garden as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
In Samoan, white people are called papalagi, which means skybreaker. All the other books on this list are by papalagi, intruders, or outside observers, I called them. John Kneubuhl was a native Samoan. His father was a U.S. sailor. So, in a way, his observer/observed situationâthe interface, the dialogue between the two disparate culturesâwas internal. In these three acclaimed plays, Kneubuhl brings to life memorable characters who embodyâand sometimes resolveâthat conflict.
These three playsâThink of a Garden, Mele Kanikau: A Pageant, and A Play, A Playâportray the true lives of twentieth-century, âpost-colonialâ Polynesians. They are the culminating worksâŚ
From John's list on West meeting paradise in the South Seas.
If you love Think of a Garden...
December on 5C4
Magical realism meets the magic of Christmas in this mix of Jewish, New Testament, and Santa storiesâall reenacted in an urban psychiatric hospital!
On locked ward 5C4, Josh, a patient with many similarities to Jesus, is hospitalized concurrently with Nick, a patient with many similarities to Santa. The two argueâŚ
Want books like Think of a Garden?
Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Think of a Garden.
Share your top 3 reads of 2025!
And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.
1,277
readers submitted
so far, will you?
đ If you like Think of a Garden, you might also like...
The Bridge
The Bridge provides a compassionate and well researched window into the worlds of linear and circular thinking. A core pattern to the inner workings of these two thinking styles is revealed, and most importantly, insight into how to cross the distance between them. Some fascinating features emerged such as, circularâŚ
And Then They Were Gone
Of the 918 Americans who died in the shocking murder-suicides of November 18, 1978, in the tiny South American country of Guyana, a third were under eighteen. More than half were in their twenties or younger.
The authors taught in a small high school in San Francisco where Reverend JimâŚ
