The Legends of Ḷainjin is a trilogy of historical literary fiction based on the primordial oral literature of Pacific Islanders. There is one story that uncharacteristically has no ending. This is the story of Tarmālu and her son Ḷainjin. According to legend, she leaves her baby in the care of others as she leads her fleet of proas from the shelter of the Wōtto Atoll lagoon into the open ocean to save their craft from the certain destruction of an oncoming typhoon. The trilogy is the story of Ḷainjin’s search for his mother to his love affair on Lae to the rise of Ijokelekel and the fall of the Saudeleur rulers of Nan Madol — a National Historic Landmark built of hexagonal basaltic crystals upon an eastern reef off Phonpei, Federated States of Micronesia.
Man Shark is the first book in the series to be published. The story line picks up upon Ḷainjin’s return from his search. It is a simple triangular love story that takes place on pre-contact Lae Atoll. Book two is the prequel and book three completes the series.