Lani and the Cumquat Adventures: Book Launch
Some projects are so dear to the heart, they feel magical when they are fulfilled. This is one of them. I first conceived of this book back in 2021. I wanted to tell the story of a little girl – I named her Lani – and her connection to her grandma. The grandma who was the first to hold her when she was born. The grandma who personified home, safety, love, and family for Lani.
After drafting the book, I worked with two collaborators on next steps, but things fell through. I began to seek other potential illustrators, and surrendered the timeline. Fast forward to 2024 – I reached out to Vidushi Yadav, whom I knew from work she had done on the Fiji Women’s Fund’s strategic plan.
Vidushi and her phenomenal sister, Medhavini, agreed to take on this project. I shared with them photos of the little girl, her grandma and her home, yard, and other details. They created pure magic with their illustrations, weaving a visual tale far beyond what I had imagined.
You see, I wanted my niece, whom Lani’s character is modeled after, to someday read this book to her children. And I wanted to tell the story of Lani and her grandma’s love-filled connection in a magical way. Behold, Lani and the Cumquat Adventures was born, with colorful life breathing and dancing on every page through the Yadav sisters’ illustrations.
Lani’s story is about a mighty girl who follows her heart. It’s about family, food, love, and togetherness beyond the distances that so often separate families. It’s about being homesick for the people who have always felt like home for you. It’s about your eating favorite local foods together that we make from scratch. And yes, it’s about cumquats.
Read my first children’s book and find out for yourself what the adventure is all about. This book is my heartfelt gift to Fiji, honoring our multicultural relationships and the bounty of amazing local food we can enjoy daily. It’s about slowing down, sharing time and food with those who mean everything to us, in a world that is full of busy culture. It’s also a gift to our vast diaspora, who understand all too well what it means to crave the tastes of home.
