This book is a heart-rending reflection of Tugaga Lesamatauanu’u Misa Telefoni Retzlaff’s foray into politics, the highlight of which was his time as Deputy Prime Minister of Samoa 2001-2010. The story is a pleasant read and will resonate with many Samoans who will identify alongside Retzlaff their place within the fabric of this story.

As a King’s College Old Boy and a graduate of Auckland University in Law (Honours), ‘the world was his oyster’ but for this ‘Island Boy’ family and his homeland would dictate a life he never could have imagined.

Samoa’s history over this period, 1988-2011, is also Retzlaff’s history. The two are intertwined and set the backdrop and platform for what was to play out in terms of Samoa as a country on the home front and on the world stage. Retzlaff was in the thick of it at times and sometimes unknowingly.

Retzlaff’s story is not without its struggles and he acknowledges throughout his writing all those who in any way and in many ways, contributed to his time of tautua - service. Retzlaff was his ‘father’s son’ and while this relationship spoke strongly of his deepest regard and love for his father, there was also an unspoken understanding of expectation and the inherent adherence to that understanding of a son to his father.

Retzlaff’s hopes and aspirations for the next generations of his family and of Samoans generally are synonymous with those of his parents and their parents before them - peace and prosperity for all. In Retzlaff’s life and times, a time of great learning and coming of age as a Son of Samoa, he remained true to his faith in God’s faithfulness in enabling him to have the time of his life as a public servant.