‘O le ala i le pule o le tautua’ (the path to leadership is service)’ – a prominent proverb in Sāmoan culture believed to be a way of life and how Sāmoan individuals navigate the world. In this exhilarating new autobiographical work, Fale Tumanu interrogates tautua using thought-provoking poetry and monologues – a recollection of 6 pivotal stages of her life where the ‘acts of service’ is being challenged.

By questioning the traditional view of acts of service as always virtuous and dignified, she enlightens the darker, more toxic and sometimes contradictory attributes within the way Sāmoan individuals use tautua to navigate the world around them.