EUPHORIA

This anthropologist love triangle set in the jungles of 1930s New Guinea is no tender treehouse romance. Loosely based on the life of Margaret Mead, it is full of danger, passion and suspense. The lush tropical setting and tribal customs drew me in - but even more fascinating was the discovery that the Western observers were, in some ways, no more "civilized" than the natives once immersed in their environment. A unique novel that keenly observes the tension and nuance between its characters like few others I've read.

These delicious New Guinea vegetables in spiced coconut broth smell as delicious as they taste. In the story, characters refer to wine as a symbol for what's thrilling and sensual, and bread for what's familiar and essential. This recipe is a little of both - utilitarian potatoes and squash with exotic, tropical coconut and ginger. Delicious and different, like the story itself.