The Edge of Paradise - (Kolowalu Books (Paperback)) by P F Kluge (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

In 1967 the Peace Corps sent P.F. Kluge to paradise--or so the American possessions in Micronesia seemed. His assignment was as noble as it was adventurous: to help the people of those half-forgotten Pacific islands move from old to new, so that paradise would have prosperity and freedom as well as physical beauty. He immersed himself in the lives of the diverse peoples of the islands. He composed speeches for their leaders. He wrote a stirring manifesto that became the Preamble to the Constitution of Micronesia. He began a friendship with a man who would one day be president of Palau. And then, a generation later, P.F. Kluge went back....

The result is a book the New Yorker called "remarkably effective," the Economist deemed "terrific"; a book Smithsonian Magazine found to be "written from the heart." The Edge of Paradise shows the impact and ironies of America's presence in an undeveloped part of the world, how perhaps there's no way "a big place can touch a little one without harming it."

From the Back Cover

In 1967 the Peace Corps sent P. F. Kluge to paradise - or so the American possessions in Micronesia seemed. His assignment was as noble as it was adventurous: to help the people of those half-forgotten Pacific islands move from old to new, so that paradise would have prosperity and freedom as well as physical beauty. He immersed himself in the lives of the diverse peoples of the islands. He composed speeches for their leaders. He wrote a stirring manifesto that became the Preamble to the Constitution of Micronesia. He began a friendship with a man who would one day be president of Palau. And then, a generation later, P. F. Kluge went back. . . . The result is a book the New Yorker called "remarkably effective", the Economist deemed "terrific"; a book Smithsonian Magazine found to be "written from the heart". The Edge of Paradise shows the impact and ironies of America's presence in an undeveloped part of the world, how perhaps there's no way "a big place can touch a little one without harming it".

Review Quotes

...astonishing poetic flights and gritty, beery, Yankee slang. As a piece of writing The Edge of Paradise is a brilliant achievement; as analysis it is equally successful.--Ronald Wright, Washington Post

A responsible, poetic, perceptive look at an American problem that will not go away.--James Michener

Absolutely the best book written about cultural imperialism, and the paradox of cultural imperialism, that I have ever read.--Bob Shacochis, author of Swimming in the Volcano

Kluge has a good eye and is skilled at his craft. His sketches of individual Micronesians are on the mark. Whether painting a picture of Truk lagoon at night or a Marshallese waitress shuffling across the restaurant floor, Kluge captures the essence of scenes and things. He simply gets it right!--Robert C. Kiste "Contemporary Pacific"

About the Author

P.F. Kluge is Writer in Residence at Kenyon College. Two films, Dog Day Afternoon and Eddie and the Cruisers, are based on his work.