Books like Tales of the South Pacific

1948 Pulitzer Prize winner.This was the book that caused the Pulitzer committee to change the name of the category from novel to fiction. That's because this is actually a group of 19 short stories, and they are similar in themes and subject matter, and they are sequential or chronological which gives it the feeling of a novel.It's about WWII in the Pacific. An ugly, horrific disaster taking place in paradise; talk about a contradiction. But it's historical fiction at a high level; you don't come away from a Michener book saying I didn't learn anything. And where most historical fiction writers lean heavily on the fiction and less on the history, Michener leans on the history.This book spawned a successful Broadway musical, South Pacific, and a feature film. It was also the basis for Michener's television series, Adventures in Paradise. If you are a Michener newbie I wouldn't start with this one. I always recommend Hawaii. I think it is his best novel, and if you are only going to read one, that should be the one.4 stars.