This thesis analyses the lived and embodied experiences of Samoan women as they are represented in Sia Figiel's novels. I argue that Sia Figiel portrays the Samoan female body as a living text of culture. Challenging palagi perceptions and stereotypes of the generic native body of the Polynesian/Samoan female, Figiel’s depictions of growing up in Samoan society also raise issues for debate about certain aspects of the faaSamoa and the cultural and sexual boundaries imposed on Samoan women. I contend that Figiel’s portrayal of Samoan women liberates them from homogenous constructions in western discourse, forces us to question traditional practices that deny voice to all women regardless of age or status, and gives us a universal voice to celebrate the ambivalence of the authentic Samoan female body.