A new administrator arrives at a Polynesian island in the South Pacific with the instruction to prepare the way for self-government. The traditional authority of the chiefs and the moral authority of the church are also due to face big changes. Life may look idyllic, but many of the great issues of world politics—economic dependence, religious fanaticism, migration, great power rivalry—are reflected in the little island communities. There is danger as a spiritual revival approaches physical violence, and a fresh young politician, George Avatea, leads the rush towards self-government. The experienced missionary and his wife find themselves out of tune with the local church, and the chief discovers that he is sidelined in the new democracy. But there is resilience in the people and strong family ties to hold them together. The administrator comes through without any bad marks but leaves behind a very personal legacy. This novel is set in the actual Cook Islands and other places in Polynesia, but the events and the people of the story are entirely fictional and do not represent the actual history.