"...I fancied that they too, as they looked at the Casuarina tree, grey, rugged and sad, a little out of place in the wanton tropics, might very well be reminded of their native land..." -W. Somerset Maugham, The Casuarina Tree (1926) The Casuarina Tree (1926) by W. Somerset Maugham is a collection of short stories loosely based on the author's travels to the Federated Malay States in the 1920s. Many of the characters struggle with alienation and fate as the author develops themes of race, class division, and adultery. After its publication, Maugham was criticized for depicting the region in an unflattering light. Included in this volume are: Before the Party, P. and O., The Outstation, The Force of Circumstance, The Yellow Streak, and The Letter. Anyone intrigued by the early twentieth century and Maugham's insightful character studies will want to add this compilation to their personal library. W. SOMERSET MAUGHAM (1874-1965) was born in Paris to British parents and orphaned at the age of ten. The difficulties he faced as a child are the foundation of his masterpiece novel, Of Human Bondage (1915). Considered one of the most popular authors of his time, Maugham is noted for his keen understanding of human nature.