What do you think?
Rate this book
Hula
Set in Hilo, Hawai'i, a sweeping saga of tradition, culture, family, history, and connection that unfolds through the lives of three generations of women--a brilliant blend of There, There and Sharks in the Time of Saviors that is a tale of mothers and daughters, dance and destiny, told in part in the collective voice of a community fighting for its survival
"There's no running away on an island. Soon enough, you end up where you started."
Hi'i is the youngest of the legendary Naupaka dynasty, only daughter of Laka, once the pride of Hilo; granddaughter of Hulali, Hula matriarch on the Big Island. But the Naupka legacy is in jeopardy, buckling under the weight of loaded silences and unexplained absences, most notably the sudden disappearance of Laka when Hi'i was a child. Hi'i dreams of healing the rifts within her family by becoming the next Miss Aloha Hula--and prove herself worthy of carrying on the family dynasty. She demonstrates her devotion to her culture through hula--the beating heart of her people expressed through the movement of her hips and feet.
Yet she has always felt separate from her community, and the harder she tries to prove she belongs--dancing in the halau until her bones ache--the wider the distance seems to grow. Soon, fault lines begin to form, and secrets threaten to erupt. Everyone wants to know, Hi'i most of all: what really happened when her mother disappeared, and why haven't she and her grandmother spoken since? When a devastating revelation involving Hi'i surfaces, the entire community is faced with a momentous decision that will affect everyone--and determine the course of Hi'i's future.
Part incantation, part rallying cry, Hula is a love letter to a stolen paradise and its people. Told in part by the tribal We, it connects Hawaii's tortured history to its fractured present through the story of the Naupaka family. The evolution of the Hawaiian Sovereignty movement is reflected in the journeys of these defiant women and their community, in whose struggle we sense the long-term repercussions of blood quantum laws and colonization, the relationship between tribe and belonging, and the universal question: what makes a family?
"There's no running away on an island. Soon enough, you end up where you started."
Hi'i is the youngest of the legendary Naupaka dynasty, only daughter of Laka, once the pride of Hilo; granddaughter of Hulali, Hula matriarch on the Big Island. But the Naupka legacy is in jeopardy, buckling under the weight of loaded silences and unexplained absences, most notably the sudden disappearance of Laka when Hi'i was a child. Hi'i dreams of healing the rifts within her family by becoming the next Miss Aloha Hula--and prove herself worthy of carrying on the family dynasty. She demonstrates her devotion to her culture through hula--the beating heart of her people expressed through the movement of her hips and feet.
Yet she has always felt separate from her community, and the harder she tries to prove she belongs--dancing in the halau until her bones ache--the wider the distance seems to grow. Soon, fault lines begin to form, and secrets threaten to erupt. Everyone wants to know, Hi'i most of all: what really happened when her mother disappeared, and why haven't she and her grandmother spoken since? When a devastating revelation involving Hi'i surfaces, the entire community is faced with a momentous decision that will affect everyone--and determine the course of Hi'i's future.
Part incantation, part rallying cry, Hula is a love letter to a stolen paradise and its people. Told in part by the tribal We, it connects Hawaii's tortured history to its fractured present through the story of the Naupaka family. The evolution of the Hawaiian Sovereignty movement is reflected in the journeys of these defiant women and their community, in whose struggle we sense the long-term repercussions of blood quantum laws and colonization, the relationship between tribe and belonging, and the universal question: what makes a family?
400 pages, Hardcover
First published May 2, 2023
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 733 reviews
September 9, 2023
Hula is the language of the Heart. Therefore the Heartbeat of the Hawaiian People.---King David Kalakaua
And so begins the debut novel Hula by Jasmin Iolani Hakes, a beautiful and sweeping saga of tradition, culture, family and history that unfolds through the lives of three generations of women. But at the heart of this beautiful novel was the tale of mothers and daughters set on the Big Island of Hawaii in Hilo. It is not only also the history of the islands and the Hawaiian people and their stolen paradise, but it also is the history and significance and the beauty of hula in their lives. There is also the history of Hawaiian Sovereignty movement and how it is reflected in the lives of these three women and blood quantum laws putting forth that they never gave up sovereignty to their lands to the United States. Culminating in the Apology Act, adopted by both houses of Congress, it was signed by President Bill Clinton on November 1993.
"Hilo, Big Island's heart. Land of the kanilehua rain, the mists from which the red lehua flowers drink. Hilo, our curse and our blessing."
Hi'i is the youngest of the legendary Naupaka dynasty, the only daughter of Laka, once the pride of Hilo. Hi'i was the granddaughter of Hulali, the Hula matriarch on the Big Island. But the Naupaka dynasty was in jeopardy with silences, disappearances and long-held secrets. And Hi'i dreams of healing the rifts within her family by following in her mother's footsteps by becoming the next Miss Aloha Hula. I found the powerful story of the Hawaiian people and the Naupaka dynasty a most enjoyable and riveting book. While it is in part an incantation, it is also a rallying cry of the Hawaiian people. Hula is a lovely ode to a stolen paradise and its people as one explores Hawaii's tortured history to its fractured present through the lives of the Naupaka family.
On a personal note, I have long been fascinated with the history of Hawaii, largely because our daughter-in-law, a haole, grew up on the islands since the age of three. Her mother is an artist who strived to bring not only the tortured plight of the Hawaiian people, but also their inner beauty and ceremony to life in her art.
"Our veins run deep, our song louder than their noise. Roots too deep to extract. That's the thing about hula. Burn your books, rewrite your history, build walls, plant flags. Hula is written within the swirls of our feet. It's our umbilical cord, our pulse. Our battle cry, our death rattle, our moment of conception. The chants are archived in the stars. Hula is the heat rising from within our volcanoes. It is the pull of the tides, the beat of the surf against our cliffs. It is our hair, our teeth, our bones, our DNA."
May 21, 2023
Im not sure how this book will read for someone who isn’t Hawaiian but I think it does a painfully good job at capturing the rage, the hurt, the damage and heartache that comes from a people having the heart of their land and culture stolen from them. The lengths that they will go to fight for it, the impossible choices presented to them, the overwhelming weight of screaming for generations but never being heard. That same fight continues to this day, as long as our people take breath.
Ua mau ke ea o ka ʻāina i ka pono. “The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness”, but also meaning “The sovereignty of the kingdom continues through our righteousness”.
Ua mau ke ea o ka ʻāina i ka pono. “The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness”, but also meaning “The sovereignty of the kingdom continues through our righteousness”.
May 12, 2023
The first part of this novel read like narrative nonfiction. That’s the best way I can describe it. Lacking dialogue but covering lots of rich history, mentioning the Bayonet Constitution and Hawaiian Home Act of 1920 (I think also referred to as the Hawaiian Home Awards), which I had no idea about! I will be googling for weeks!
While reading, I thought: this could be shorter. Overall, though, I couldn’t deny the beauty of the writing and the importance of this story. I would gladly read another book by Hakes.
While reading, I thought: this could be shorter. Overall, though, I couldn’t deny the beauty of the writing and the importance of this story. I would gladly read another book by Hakes.
Read
January 9, 2024Some tough questions about a book I thought I loved, but now feel incredibly uncomfortable with....
First, I want to say I really loved the audiobook for HULA. The narration by Mapuana Makia is gorgeous and truly enhanced my reading experience of the book. In fact, it is the reason why I loved this book so much. What fell short in print—the ambitious task of including Hawaii’s history of colonization within a saga about three generations of Hawaiian women all the while also tackling racism and familial expectations—felt digestible and beautiful.
I also loved that I was reading a book set in Hawaii about its history and the authentic Native Hawaiian experience. Or so I thought. What I believed to be an own voices story, I quickly learned that the author, while born in Hawaii, is not a native Hawaiian. To be fair, she never claims to be, only that her family has been there for generations. And one of the MCs, the daughter Hi’i, struggles with identity and feeling like an outsider, the same issues the author had to deal with herself. So in this sense, the book feels very authentic to the author’s experience. That is something I, as a reader, cannot take away from her nor would I want to.
What I can do as a reader is take responsibility for my own actions. I was recommending this book as an own voices story, especially because we see so few NH and PI literature and I was so excited about it. That’s on me. I should’ve done my research, so I can accurately manage my own expectations as well as share information and recommendations responsibly. (But to be fair, this was being marketed as OV story AND is on a lot of AANHPI lists, so the assumption she is NH is not a leap.)
I am not here to police identities and determine what stories can be told by whom. As someone who is part of the Korean diaspora, I know identity is extremely complicated. I also know firsthand how it feels to be an outsider. However, as a critical reader and as a book reviewer, I have to note that this book’s core and essence is about the Hawaiian experience. And because of that, I cannot help but ask some questions…
Why did this book feel like it was marketed as an own voices Native Hawaiian story? (I am not the only one who felt this, especially during this month celebrating ANHPI Heritage.) How would a native Hawaiian feel reading this story? And borrowing this thought from a Hawaiian author/creator I know, does proximity to a land give you permission to write about its history, culture and people? Would this novel even be in my hands if it was written by a native Hawaiian with darker skin?
I have questions but no answers. So, where does that leave me? You? Us, as readers? I believe there is an important story here, especially for the Hawaiians that have always felt in-between. I also believe there can be incredible harm in the way a book is marketed that erases, dehumanizes and steals from the people the book is about. I don’t believe this is being done intentionally with HULA. And I am not Hawaiian, but I felt the book honored Hawaii’s culture and heritage all the while educating me on its history, a stolen land from its people. But the question is (and ones that NHs are always asking when their culture and history is stolen, marketed and profited from), does she have the right to tell their story?
First, I want to say I really loved the audiobook for HULA. The narration by Mapuana Makia is gorgeous and truly enhanced my reading experience of the book. In fact, it is the reason why I loved this book so much. What fell short in print—the ambitious task of including Hawaii’s history of colonization within a saga about three generations of Hawaiian women all the while also tackling racism and familial expectations—felt digestible and beautiful.
I also loved that I was reading a book set in Hawaii about its history and the authentic Native Hawaiian experience. Or so I thought. What I believed to be an own voices story, I quickly learned that the author, while born in Hawaii, is not a native Hawaiian. To be fair, she never claims to be, only that her family has been there for generations. And one of the MCs, the daughter Hi’i, struggles with identity and feeling like an outsider, the same issues the author had to deal with herself. So in this sense, the book feels very authentic to the author’s experience. That is something I, as a reader, cannot take away from her nor would I want to.
What I can do as a reader is take responsibility for my own actions. I was recommending this book as an own voices story, especially because we see so few NH and PI literature and I was so excited about it. That’s on me. I should’ve done my research, so I can accurately manage my own expectations as well as share information and recommendations responsibly. (But to be fair, this was being marketed as OV story AND is on a lot of AANHPI lists, so the assumption she is NH is not a leap.)
I am not here to police identities and determine what stories can be told by whom. As someone who is part of the Korean diaspora, I know identity is extremely complicated. I also know firsthand how it feels to be an outsider. However, as a critical reader and as a book reviewer, I have to note that this book’s core and essence is about the Hawaiian experience. And because of that, I cannot help but ask some questions…
Why did this book feel like it was marketed as an own voices Native Hawaiian story? (I am not the only one who felt this, especially during this month celebrating ANHPI Heritage.) How would a native Hawaiian feel reading this story? And borrowing this thought from a Hawaiian author/creator I know, does proximity to a land give you permission to write about its history, culture and people? Would this novel even be in my hands if it was written by a native Hawaiian with darker skin?
I have questions but no answers. So, where does that leave me? You? Us, as readers? I believe there is an important story here, especially for the Hawaiians that have always felt in-between. I also believe there can be incredible harm in the way a book is marketed that erases, dehumanizes and steals from the people the book is about. I don’t believe this is being done intentionally with HULA. And I am not Hawaiian, but I felt the book honored Hawaii’s culture and heritage all the while educating me on its history, a stolen land from its people. But the question is (and ones that NHs are always asking when their culture and history is stolen, marketed and profited from), does she have the right to tell their story?
July 5, 2023
Actual rating: 2.25 stars ⭐️⭐️ - I really wanted to like this more...
There were many things I liked about this book but sadly, not enough to overcome the things I didn't like. I probably wouldn't recommend this to anyone in particular. I was drawn to the book because of my visit in the past to Hawaii and having family and friends live there who told me about the struggles that Native Hawaiians have gone through since becoming apart of the US.
What I Liked: Hi'i, Laka and Hulali's story was what I enjoyed the most. Getting to know each character had me completely engaged. I found myself wanting to know more about who each of the characters were, what drove their actions, more of their thoughts and why they responded to many scenarios the way they did. Linking each of their history while showing how their mother/daughter relationships developed really tied it all together. Overall, their stories felt like it was missing a chunk of detail to really keep me into the book. I didn't feel any character development between them and hated how Hi'i essentially just had to deal with the pain and anguish she went through without ever addressing this with her mom and grandmother...
What I Didn't Like: A large part of the book focused heavily on the history or Hawaii and what happened between the US and Kingdom of Hawaii. This was so hard to keep up with and read and just felt completely dry. While I was frustrated with this part, I had to push through to get back to the main plot of the story. I also very much needed a dictionary for A LOT of the Hawaiian words. Some of them I could use context clues to figure out what was going on but many times I just read over it with no clue as to what it meant. This made the book feel longer than it is and also took me wayyyy longer to finish.
Thank you to Netgalley and HarperVia for the ARC version in exchange for an honest review.
There were many things I liked about this book but sadly, not enough to overcome the things I didn't like. I probably wouldn't recommend this to anyone in particular. I was drawn to the book because of my visit in the past to Hawaii and having family and friends live there who told me about the struggles that Native Hawaiians have gone through since becoming apart of the US.
What I Liked: Hi'i, Laka and Hulali's story was what I enjoyed the most. Getting to know each character had me completely engaged. I found myself wanting to know more about who each of the characters were, what drove their actions, more of their thoughts and why they responded to many scenarios the way they did. Linking each of their history while showing how their mother/daughter relationships developed really tied it all together. Overall, their stories felt like it was missing a chunk of detail to really keep me into the book. I didn't feel any character development between them and hated how Hi'i essentially just had to deal with the pain and anguish she went through without ever addressing this with her mom and grandmother...
What I Didn't Like: A large part of the book focused heavily on the history or Hawaii and what happened between the US and Kingdom of Hawaii. This was so hard to keep up with and read and just felt completely dry. While I was frustrated with this part, I had to push through to get back to the main plot of the story. I also very much needed a dictionary for A LOT of the Hawaiian words. Some of them I could use context clues to figure out what was going on but many times I just read over it with no clue as to what it meant. This made the book feel longer than it is and also took me wayyyy longer to finish.
Thank you to Netgalley and HarperVia for the ARC version in exchange for an honest review.
May 10, 2023
Hula follows three generations of women in Hawaii. It explores identity and belonging - almost like a coming of age novel. It’s also culturally rich and there is so much history as well. I thought it was beautifully written however, there were times where I felt it was a little too long. Regardless, I do think the story is important as there’s not many Hawaiian authors or stories out there. The cover is also absolutely beautiful.
Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book!
Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book!
April 17, 2023
Hula is an multi-generational story that dives into mother-daughter relationships, dysfunctional families, the history of a place and how it can make or break a community, and colonization and racism and the negative impact that has on native populations. The book is called Hula, but it's not really about the art of Hula, rather the themes of the art form are tied to larger themes throughout the book.
What I really liked about the book was: a) how the writing did an incredible job of setting the place. It was beautiful in its descriptions and honest in its portrayal of the big island of Hawai'i and beyond. We as readers really got an understanding of the anger, hurt, and betrayal of native Hawaiians as they tried to navigate and survive in a post-colonial Hawaii; b) the way the author used history to put this story into perspective, including the sacred practices woven in with the art of hula.
Why I rated this three stars: 1) I thought the book was simply trying to do too much. While I just said that I appreciated the author adding in so much Hawaiian history, she also added in so many other side stories that the book felt a bit chaotic and the overall impact of the book struggled to come through. I think, if she would have dedicated to write either a much longer book or pared down the storylines and wrote a much shorter book, the impact could have been there. And then 2) if you come from a dysfunctional family, there are some big triggers here (which was the case for me). A lot of the family drama, when it comes to a head, feels almost out of context because we don't get to know the characters in a way that makes the drama make complete sense. So, a lot of the lack of communication and lack of taking responsibility for their actions made me dislike the characters rather than sympathize.
Overall, a great book though that I think a lot of people will find interesting and hopefully will open their minds to learning more about Hawaiian history and culture. Thank you to NetGalley and HarperVia for giving me advanced reader access in exchange for an honest review. Hula by Jasmin 'Iolani Hakes publishes May 2, 2023.
What I really liked about the book was: a) how the writing did an incredible job of setting the place. It was beautiful in its descriptions and honest in its portrayal of the big island of Hawai'i and beyond. We as readers really got an understanding of the anger, hurt, and betrayal of native Hawaiians as they tried to navigate and survive in a post-colonial Hawaii; b) the way the author used history to put this story into perspective, including the sacred practices woven in with the art of hula.
Why I rated this three stars: 1) I thought the book was simply trying to do too much. While I just said that I appreciated the author adding in so much Hawaiian history, she also added in so many other side stories that the book felt a bit chaotic and the overall impact of the book struggled to come through. I think, if she would have dedicated to write either a much longer book or pared down the storylines and wrote a much shorter book, the impact could have been there. And then 2) if you come from a dysfunctional family, there are some big triggers here (which was the case for me). A lot of the family drama, when it comes to a head, feels almost out of context because we don't get to know the characters in a way that makes the drama make complete sense. So, a lot of the lack of communication and lack of taking responsibility for their actions made me dislike the characters rather than sympathize.
Overall, a great book though that I think a lot of people will find interesting and hopefully will open their minds to learning more about Hawaiian history and culture. Thank you to NetGalley and HarperVia for giving me advanced reader access in exchange for an honest review. Hula by Jasmin 'Iolani Hakes publishes May 2, 2023.
May 7, 2023
This book was love at first sight and I couldn't wait to get my hands on it! I mean how gorgeous is that cover? But beyond that, this was a beautifully written novel that was a pleasure to read/listen to. Despite what its name might suggest, the book isn't about teaching hula. Instead it explores the recent history of Hawaii, identity and belonging, motherhood and community through 3 generations of women.
The thing I loved the most about this book is probably how nuanced the characters were in their backgrounds and stances on what it meant to be Hawaiian and parts of their communities, what they thought was best for their home and how to achieve it.
This novel was a great reminder of the oral histories and identities erased by colonization and how much hard work is involved to get them back. I can see a lot of tourists picking this up when they are headed to a Hawaiian vacation and I hope it'll serve as a great reminder on the fact that there is so much more to Hawaii than being a tourist destination and on what is appropriation vs. appreciation.
I loved the narration by Mapuana Makia and I thought she enhanced the experience of this book so much!
Thank you so much to HarperVia and for the ARC and gifted finished copy and LibroFM and Harper Audio for the ALC of this gorgeous novel.
The thing I loved the most about this book is probably how nuanced the characters were in their backgrounds and stances on what it meant to be Hawaiian and parts of their communities, what they thought was best for their home and how to achieve it.
This novel was a great reminder of the oral histories and identities erased by colonization and how much hard work is involved to get them back. I can see a lot of tourists picking this up when they are headed to a Hawaiian vacation and I hope it'll serve as a great reminder on the fact that there is so much more to Hawaii than being a tourist destination and on what is appropriation vs. appreciation.
I loved the narration by Mapuana Makia and I thought she enhanced the experience of this book so much!
Thank you so much to HarperVia and for the ARC and gifted finished copy and LibroFM and Harper Audio for the ALC of this gorgeous novel.
April 4, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️½
This was nearly a four star read for me. The first third of the book dragged a bit and I felt the book was a bit scattered. It was an ambitious book, threading in a lot of Hawaii's history and the history of hula into the characters' journey. I think if the book was pared down or simplified a bit, I would have liked it more.
But I did really like it. Keep in mind, I read mostly romance and so non-romance books are a little more difficult for me to love. This historical fiction novel has a lot to offer readers and I think many will enjoy this one. It's seeped in the rich and layered culture of Hawaii and I really enjoyed deep diving into the island life. I loved the spirituality of the story and how the characters tied their experiences to the earth and to their heritage. This book was beautifully written and I am in awe of Jasmine Iolani Hakes' ability to weave such an intricate story with meaningful themes.
This was an impressive debut novel and I look forward to reading more work by this author.
If you have an opportunity to listen to this book, I highly recommend it. Hearing how the Hawaiian words and names were pronounced helped me really get into the story. I also appreciated hearing the accents and cadence of Hawaiian pidgin.
⚠️: war, miscarriage, child abandonment, partner abuse, cancer, death of a spouse, incarceration
I received a complimentary audiobook from libro.fm.
This was nearly a four star read for me. The first third of the book dragged a bit and I felt the book was a bit scattered. It was an ambitious book, threading in a lot of Hawaii's history and the history of hula into the characters' journey. I think if the book was pared down or simplified a bit, I would have liked it more.
But I did really like it. Keep in mind, I read mostly romance and so non-romance books are a little more difficult for me to love. This historical fiction novel has a lot to offer readers and I think many will enjoy this one. It's seeped in the rich and layered culture of Hawaii and I really enjoyed deep diving into the island life. I loved the spirituality of the story and how the characters tied their experiences to the earth and to their heritage. This book was beautifully written and I am in awe of Jasmine Iolani Hakes' ability to weave such an intricate story with meaningful themes.
This was an impressive debut novel and I look forward to reading more work by this author.
If you have an opportunity to listen to this book, I highly recommend it. Hearing how the Hawaiian words and names were pronounced helped me really get into the story. I also appreciated hearing the accents and cadence of Hawaiian pidgin.
⚠️: war, miscarriage, child abandonment, partner abuse, cancer, death of a spouse, incarceration
I received a complimentary audiobook from libro.fm.
May 19, 2023
This novel pushes back the curtain to show us just a part of what remained of traditional Hawai'i in the late mid-century, just before the huge onslaught of tourism and commercialism that make up most of the state today.
The novel focuses on the women of the Naupaka family of the Big Island. Though the women's lives collectively span the 1900s and beyond, the core of the story is set in the 1960s and 1970s, when political, economic, and culture change charged the air.
I have so many thoughts about this novel, which are colored by own experiences of working and living in the state in the late 1970s. Most of my friends and coworkers had been born and raised in Hawai'i and were of a variety of cultural backgrounds. Talk around the lunch table and at weekend get-togethers often turned to hula, indigenous rights, land and housing, gawking tourists, and the destruction of special and significant places throughout the islands.
Based on my brief insider-outsider status, *Hula* gets everything right. And why wouldn't it? The author grew up in Hawai'i during this time of change.
Other important themes covered in the book are mother-daughter relationships, fitting in, cultural traditions, and governmental white supremacy (male WASP and white Catholic political, religious, and economic leaders know what's best for everyone and also know best how to loophole their way into getting whatever they want).
Lest you think *Hula* will be too heavy for you, rest assured that there's family, friend, and relationship drama to carry the reader along.
Whether you've vacationed in Hawai'i, dreamed of visiting Hawai'i, worked in Hawai'i, or grew up in Hawai'i this is a must-read novel.
The audiobook was performed by Mapuana Makia, who did a brilliant job. Thanks to her Hawai'ian background, her pronunciations and cadences and natural-sounding pidgin brought the characters alive. Her understanding of the material increases the listener's connection to the emotional core of the story as well as the importance of the broader themes.
Note that the print book ends with a list of resources, especially focusing on land rights and sovereignty. For more information about hula, see the *National Geographic* article "The Surprising History of Hawai'i's Hula Tradition." (https://www.nationalgeographic.com/tr...)
Thanks to the publishers (and Libro.fm) for review copies in various formats.
The novel focuses on the women of the Naupaka family of the Big Island. Though the women's lives collectively span the 1900s and beyond, the core of the story is set in the 1960s and 1970s, when political, economic, and culture change charged the air.
I have so many thoughts about this novel, which are colored by own experiences of working and living in the state in the late 1970s. Most of my friends and coworkers had been born and raised in Hawai'i and were of a variety of cultural backgrounds. Talk around the lunch table and at weekend get-togethers often turned to hula, indigenous rights, land and housing, gawking tourists, and the destruction of special and significant places throughout the islands.
Based on my brief insider-outsider status, *Hula* gets everything right. And why wouldn't it? The author grew up in Hawai'i during this time of change.
Other important themes covered in the book are mother-daughter relationships, fitting in, cultural traditions, and governmental white supremacy (male WASP and white Catholic political, religious, and economic leaders know what's best for everyone and also know best how to loophole their way into getting whatever they want).
Lest you think *Hula* will be too heavy for you, rest assured that there's family, friend, and relationship drama to carry the reader along.
Whether you've vacationed in Hawai'i, dreamed of visiting Hawai'i, worked in Hawai'i, or grew up in Hawai'i this is a must-read novel.
The audiobook was performed by Mapuana Makia, who did a brilliant job. Thanks to her Hawai'ian background, her pronunciations and cadences and natural-sounding pidgin brought the characters alive. Her understanding of the material increases the listener's connection to the emotional core of the story as well as the importance of the broader themes.
Note that the print book ends with a list of resources, especially focusing on land rights and sovereignty. For more information about hula, see the *National Geographic* article "The Surprising History of Hawai'i's Hula Tradition." (https://www.nationalgeographic.com/tr...)
Thanks to the publishers (and Libro.fm) for review copies in various formats.
October 29, 2023
This was a difficult but compelling and poignant read. I found it difficult due to the consistent amount of wrenching emotions--sadness, anger, frustration, interminable frustration and invalidation. The three women, three generations, (well actually five, #1 & #5 are more minor characters, relatively) represent the struggles of Hawai'i and the kanaka maoli, the term that native Hawai'ians use to refer to themselves. They experience disappointment, dashed hopes, trauma and tragedy over and over. Happiness, joy and steady uneventfulness are fleeting at best and only lead to some awful event. (Last night, after reading 70-85%, I couldn't sleep soundly. Today, I decided to finish this during the daytime so I could have more settled rest tonight.)
The perspective alternates between 1st person (plural) and 3rd person; and this often contributed to an arm's length feel. The "we" is a collective family (or ancestors or community), a timeless and all-seeing entity. But I found this voice the most distant although they conveyed much information, often in some ghostly tone. (In the beginning this voice had a sacchariny, cloying feel to it in a few passages. It was almost as if they were pretending to be mystical.) I experienced the characters' points of view, as recounted or as described, as removed and at times cold or robotic. But I add here that between the 70-85%, there were several moments when I was choked with emotions and tears (e.g., when Laka goes to a different halau. Another very poignant scene occurred earlier, when Hi'i danced during a storm.).
This book provides a socio-political overview of Hawai'i, beginning around the time of the US overthrow of the sovereign island nation till about 1990's. The contrast and tension between those who accept (begrudgingly) the role of the US and OHA and those who unapologetically/righteously reject the US government takeover and maintain the sovereignty of Hawai'i are clearly depicted here. The issues of blood quantum, identity, belonging, and obviously, settler colonialism are lived by the characters and intimately and relentlessly inform their lives, decisions, and aspirations.
The difficult mother-daughter relationships among the three main characters are heartbreaking. Each woman conducts herself with the best of intentions or acts according to some profound need. Yet, many moves or actions inflict some pain or cause some disruption. This intergenerational, matrilineal dynamic reminds me of A Bridge Between Us and is wrenching in how each character, unintentionally, must repeat a hurtful relay.
Hula dance plays an important role but as a device or a language of sorts. It's a seminal way to demonstrate the sovereignty or the very identity of the Hawai'ian people. I was awed by the author's descriptions of hula and the experiences of "being in" hula. I can assuredly say that these are the most poignant passages in the book. They're searing and magical.
I appreciated the intricate plotting as it presented and revealed information or events carefully. It had a Rashomon effect. You'd see one side, then another which is completely different.
In addition I appreciate how Hawai'ian cosmology and/or mythology was presented. It was not heavy handed and didn't feel like an "explanation."
Hawai'ian words are used often and with a few but often almost no contextual clues. I totally support this practice as I have in other books. I'm grateful that I know enough words to know the meanings and how they represent the people themselves. Interestingly, the author uses English words to cleverly and clearly communicate new meanings. Tourists are called "Interrupters," for instance.
I'd recommend this title and I look forward to this author's future works. Please see my numerous highlights--many of these passages are gorgeous, poetic and affecting.
Many say that writing is a political act. I agree. I also think reading is a political act. For instance, I celebrate having read only authors of color this calendar year. And while reading Hula, I thought about how the government of Israel is escalating its oppression of Palestine, something that has occurred for more than 70 years, and is now committing genocide. Like Hula, the issues of belonging, identity and community are at play.
The perspective alternates between 1st person (plural) and 3rd person; and this often contributed to an arm's length feel. The "we" is a collective family (or ancestors or community), a timeless and all-seeing entity. But I found this voice the most distant although they conveyed much information, often in some ghostly tone. (In the beginning this voice had a sacchariny, cloying feel to it in a few passages. It was almost as if they were pretending to be mystical.) I experienced the characters' points of view, as recounted or as described, as removed and at times cold or robotic. But I add here that between the 70-85%, there were several moments when I was choked with emotions and tears (e.g., when Laka goes to a different halau. Another very poignant scene occurred earlier, when Hi'i danced during a storm.).
This book provides a socio-political overview of Hawai'i, beginning around the time of the US overthrow of the sovereign island nation till about 1990's. The contrast and tension between those who accept (begrudgingly) the role of the US and OHA and those who unapologetically/righteously reject the US government takeover and maintain the sovereignty of Hawai'i are clearly depicted here. The issues of blood quantum, identity, belonging, and obviously, settler colonialism are lived by the characters and intimately and relentlessly inform their lives, decisions, and aspirations.
The difficult mother-daughter relationships among the three main characters are heartbreaking. Each woman conducts herself with the best of intentions or acts according to some profound need. Yet, many moves or actions inflict some pain or cause some disruption. This intergenerational, matrilineal dynamic reminds me of A Bridge Between Us and is wrenching in how each character, unintentionally, must repeat a hurtful relay.
Hula dance plays an important role but as a device or a language of sorts. It's a seminal way to demonstrate the sovereignty or the very identity of the Hawai'ian people. I was awed by the author's descriptions of hula and the experiences of "being in" hula. I can assuredly say that these are the most poignant passages in the book. They're searing and magical.
I appreciated the intricate plotting as it presented and revealed information or events carefully. It had a Rashomon effect. You'd see one side, then another which is completely different.
In addition I appreciate how Hawai'ian cosmology and/or mythology was presented. It was not heavy handed and didn't feel like an "explanation."
Hawai'ian words are used often and with a few but often almost no contextual clues. I totally support this practice as I have in other books. I'm grateful that I know enough words to know the meanings and how they represent the people themselves. Interestingly, the author uses English words to cleverly and clearly communicate new meanings. Tourists are called "Interrupters," for instance.
I'd recommend this title and I look forward to this author's future works. Please see my numerous highlights--many of these passages are gorgeous, poetic and affecting.
Many say that writing is a political act. I agree. I also think reading is a political act. For instance, I celebrate having read only authors of color this calendar year. And while reading Hula, I thought about how the government of Israel is escalating its oppression of Palestine, something that has occurred for more than 70 years, and is now committing genocide. Like Hula, the issues of belonging, identity and community are at play.
May 19, 2023
I wanted to Love this book, I really did. The cover is stunningly beautiful and I was excited about the concept of this book however it fell very flat for me.
I think my biggest problem with this book was that it felt as if there was no editor. We jumped around in time a lot which was really confusing and there seem to be really no real structure within this book I felt like most of the plot happened at the very end which I did enjoy.
But overall, I felt like information was just thrown at us instead of unfolding with us as readers.
I think my biggest problem with this book was that it felt as if there was no editor. We jumped around in time a lot which was really confusing and there seem to be really no real structure within this book I felt like most of the plot happened at the very end which I did enjoy.
But overall, I felt like information was just thrown at us instead of unfolding with us as readers.
August 10, 2023
Laka returns home to Hilo, Hawaii with a new daughter in tow and it makes her mother, Hulali, question the baby's parentage. The baby is too "white" in her family's eyes to be Hawaiian. Hulali is part of the native Hawaiian movement and she takes this seriously, especially after all Hawaii has been through and the USA's role in this. As Hi'i, Laka's daughter, grows up she realizes she doesn't quite fit in and has never been fully accepted in her community. She has grown up with rumors following her every move and by now, she is used to it. Hi'i shows an interest in learning hula as he mother and grandmother were important figures in the community for continuing the Hawaiian tradition of Hula; in fact, her mother was Miss Aloha Hula. As she learns Hula and expresses the rich Hawaiian history through its storytelling, it becomes even more obvious to her that she never really felt a part of all this. She has so many questions. What happened when her mother left Hilo and why is there a rift between her mother and her grandmother? As her grandmother pressures Laka to share Hi'i's birth certificate to prove her lineage, more secrets unfold. Hula by Jasmin Iolani Hakes is an important historical novel that not only covers Hawaii's tumultuous history but also captures the heart of its people.
Read the rest of my review here: http://www.confessionsofabookaddict.c...
Read the rest of my review here: http://www.confessionsofabookaddict.c...
May 1, 2023
Thank you @libro.fm for a copy of this audiobook. I have so many thoughts on this book.
Here's what I loved about this book:
- the narration was great from the pronunciation of Hawaiian words to the pidgin English that was used
- this was a great book with history of Hawaii and what the colonization did to the Hawaiians
- the idea of family vs ohana
Here's what I didn't like about it:
- the 3rd person POV, it didn't make me feel invested in the story
- the amount of history and lack of conversation in the first half of the book
Overall, this was a great fictional story with a lot of historical aspects of Hawaii.
Here's what I loved about this book:
- the narration was great from the pronunciation of Hawaiian words to the pidgin English that was used
- this was a great book with history of Hawaii and what the colonization did to the Hawaiians
- the idea of family vs ohana
Here's what I didn't like about it:
- the 3rd person POV, it didn't make me feel invested in the story
- the amount of history and lack of conversation in the first half of the book
Overall, this was a great fictional story with a lot of historical aspects of Hawaii.
November 19, 2023
Hula tells the story of several generations of mothers and daughters in the Naupaka family. The Naupaka family is known for it’s contribution to hula and to preserving the culture and rights of Native Hawaiians. Laka never met her mother’s standards - all that was important to her mother, Hulali, was focusing on Hawaiian culture and rights. Immediately after Laka won the Miss Aloha competition, she fled the big island, severing all ties with her family. When she returned with her infant daughter, there is no reconciliation with her mother. Hulali is not accepting of her new granddaughter because she believes her new granddaughter is white and does not meet the blood quantum to be considered “Hawaiian.: As the child, Hi���i, grows up, we see her experience life feeling like an outsider and the rifts within her family continue. With the way the story is told, the reader actually gets 2 coming of age stories - both Hi’i and her mother, Laka. Intertwined through all of this is the history of the Hawaiian kingdom, and the fight for sovereignty. I thought that the way Hakes pulled all of this together was masterful - it never felt like an info dump and the impact of the historical events on the day to day life of the Hawaiian people was woven in. The political and cultural topics explored, including the lasting impacts of colonialism, as you see Hi’i’s experiences and the tension and disagreement between Laka and Hulali rang true to the story being told. Excellent novel.
Shelved as '2023'
June 25, 2024$4.99 audiobook sale @ Libro.fm
Note: AANHPI Month is over, but you can read diversely all year. While you can read this for the AA component, the author is not NH.
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and HarperVia
Note: AANHPI Month is over, but you can read diversely all year. While you can read this for the AA component, the author is not NH.
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and HarperVia
July 5, 2023
3.5 ⭐️
It was honestly a bit hard for me to follow the story for the first half of the book. It took me a while to get in the groove with the storytelling and I felt the ending came hard and fast.
I loved learning so much about hula and the history of Hawaii. Like so much of the colonized around the word, their history is so rich and so layered which is heartbreaking to watch it slowly taken away over time. I appreciate the message(s) of Hula. It’s beautiful and heartbreaking and honest.
It was honestly a bit hard for me to follow the story for the first half of the book. It took me a while to get in the groove with the storytelling and I felt the ending came hard and fast.
I loved learning so much about hula and the history of Hawaii. Like so much of the colonized around the word, their history is so rich and so layered which is heartbreaking to watch it slowly taken away over time. I appreciate the message(s) of Hula. It’s beautiful and heartbreaking and honest.
May 24, 2023
Absolutely loved this! Apparently I'm a sucker for multigenerational family dramas about women and their relationships with each other set against historical backdrops, because they never miss, but even through that lense this was great. The writing is beautiful, the characters are believable, I got teary eyed a whole lot of times, and only some were out of sadness. I don't understand how the general consensus is that the book should be shorter - the cyclical nature of the relationships is the entire point, and instead of repetitions, we get variations of similar situations and how the women deal with them. I love reading books written by authors who obviously care so so deeply about the themes they tackle (which is also supported by the extensive explanation and further reading list at the end). I think this might be my fav book I've read this year, actually.
February 24, 2023
In a society where culture can be stolen as easily as a piece of bread, we need more books like Hula! I think that the people of the islands in the Pacific have been overwrought by so much colonization that it’s become so difficult to get anything beautifully authentic, even for the natives. There is so much pressure on them to keep the rituals/ traditions alive, like what Hi'i experiences. Beyond that, we get insight into her family's past and the mysteries hidden away in order to survive the present. The colorism faced within their own people is something holding her back as well, and is something I'm familiar with in my own culture. The difficulty of trying to belong in a world that will always see you as second class. This story covers so many important themes, all while following the path of the Naupaka family; past, present, and hopeful future. We get to see how their generations remain connected with the help of hula. For anyone not into the interspersed native speech, you must not be truly interested to learn more about the culture this portrays. I think it's beautiful that, for once, the language isn't treated as out of place or inconvenient, but as regular as the English everyone is expected to know.
December 10, 2023
I have a strange suggestion for this book: If you have no knowledge/connection of/to Hawaii's culture or history - then I suggesting LISTENING to the audiobook for at least half of the story because hearing the words spoken as they're intended is integral to the story. BUT! Then I suggest you read the last 25% or so so that you can also see how everything is spelled. And definitely read the author's notes at the end.
As usual, my ADHD complicated some of my reading with the changing POVs but in the end I stuck with it and appreciated it. Reading is so funny because while I have no personal connection to stories of heritage and cultural and tradition and family, I found it all easy to understand. But then I felt INCREDIBLY connected to complicated mother/daughter relationships and how baggage and demons from another time can interfere with healthy relationships in some families. So part of the story was me reading from the outside and learning and embracing the character's stories, but part of it was me on the inside feeling the pains of the conflicts deep in my soul.
As usual, my ADHD complicated some of my reading with the changing POVs but in the end I stuck with it and appreciated it. Reading is so funny because while I have no personal connection to stories of heritage and cultural and tradition and family, I found it all easy to understand. But then I felt INCREDIBLY connected to complicated mother/daughter relationships and how baggage and demons from another time can interfere with healthy relationships in some families. So part of the story was me reading from the outside and learning and embracing the character's stories, but part of it was me on the inside feeling the pains of the conflicts deep in my soul.
January 19, 2023
I really wanted to love this book, I tried so hard but I really was not for me. I felt the writing style too distracting and as if the author tried to stuff as much into the pages as possible where as if the author focused more on the plot line and character development the story would have been more prevalent.
July 29, 2023
I have complicated feelings regarding this book as someone who is of Native Hawaiian descent (my grandfather was close to 100%).
When I first picked up this book after reading some great reviews, I believed the author to also be Native Hawaiian. Maybe that was my fault I assumed, but Hula was also highly marketed as an OWN voices novel.
What I liked:
-the history. I’m glad that the history of Hawaii is starting to be more widely acknowledged and known.
-the characters were complicated and nuanced
-the fight for Hawaiian Land Rights and Hawaii as a whole
What I didn’t like:
-the story of mothers and daughters felt super negative to me along side the important story of Hawaii and everything we are still fighting for. I would have love to see some joy in the novel named Hula.
-the novel was poorly written and disjointed. You can jump around in a novel and make it cohesive. But I found myself flipping back through chapters to see if I missed something for a majority of the book.
-it tries to hard to be literary, but the book ended up being more telling then showing (which is not bad in the right context, the telling just didn’t work for this novel and it’s overall voice.
Overall, it becomes a question of who gets to tell what story. As someone who is native Hawaiian, I think I would have loved this book if instead of focusing on a Native Hawaiian family, focus on a family who are locals to Hawaii, have relationships with the people, and are allys to Native Hawaiian causes.
Like I told my husband, four stars for the historical context and two for the story. And no, that doesn’t make it a three star book.
When I first picked up this book after reading some great reviews, I believed the author to also be Native Hawaiian. Maybe that was my fault I assumed, but Hula was also highly marketed as an OWN voices novel.
What I liked:
-the history. I’m glad that the history of Hawaii is starting to be more widely acknowledged and known.
-the characters were complicated and nuanced
-the fight for Hawaiian Land Rights and Hawaii as a whole
What I didn’t like:
-the story of mothers and daughters felt super negative to me along side the important story of Hawaii and everything we are still fighting for. I would have love to see some joy in the novel named Hula.
-the novel was poorly written and disjointed. You can jump around in a novel and make it cohesive. But I found myself flipping back through chapters to see if I missed something for a majority of the book.
-it tries to hard to be literary, but the book ended up being more telling then showing (which is not bad in the right context, the telling just didn’t work for this novel and it’s overall voice.
Overall, it becomes a question of who gets to tell what story. As someone who is native Hawaiian, I think I would have loved this book if instead of focusing on a Native Hawaiian family, focus on a family who are locals to Hawaii, have relationships with the people, and are allys to Native Hawaiian causes.
Like I told my husband, four stars for the historical context and two for the story. And no, that doesn’t make it a three star book.
April 19, 2023
Wow, this was an ambitious book! I have so much respect for Jasmin ʻIolani Hakes for managing to weave Hawaiʻi's history, various factions of the sovereignty/Kingdom movement, color and culture clashes, and messy family dynamics into one novel. Her writing style felt like the push and pull of the ocean and I could practically taste the salt on my lips. Stunning descriptions and visuals.
I received an advanced copy of this book to give an honest review of.
I received an advanced copy of this book to give an honest review of.
July 1, 2023
It was interesting learning about the history of Hawaii. However, this book was all "telling not showing." The timeline was sporadic and the switching between voices gave me a whiplash feel. It was hard to keep everything straight and care for the characters.
Thank you Libro.fm for the advanced listening copy of this book!
Thank you Libro.fm for the advanced listening copy of this book!
August 4, 2023
I haven't read a book about Hawaii that I haven't enjoyed YET.
Books about family expectations and dynasties are my niche. Learning about Hawaiian history, whether through fiction or non-fiction, always hurts. My heart hurts for a people who can't control their land or government. I always reflect back on Hawaii and Puerto Rico to remind myself that the US is not a benevolent saviour but a colonising empire. The POVs that allowed readers to see the takeover of Hawaii from the point of the people, and the desire to keep Hawaiian culture alive made this book so so special.
The complicated mother-daughter relationship in the Naupka dynasty should be attractive to many readers. The backstory relationship between Hulali and Laka, when shown, is so so sad. Love is there but duty is more prevalent than love. Duty to help Hawaii and further the family line is so ingrained in Hulali from her matriarch that that's all she knows. All of the characters are real and complex. None of them shines out as "good" and "bad." They are all complicated. I understand Hi'i need to be accepted by her mother and grandmother. The drive to be accepted by her indigenous society though she appears like a colonizer is woven through the narrative.
The multiple POVs allow readers to see from all the women's points of view. I wished the backstory with Hulali and Laka was towards the beginning, as well as Hi'i's birth story. It would have helped my frustration between the characters and their actions, which were seemly stupid at times.
I enjoyed how Hakes shows that being Hawaiian does not necessarily mean you look fully Hawaiian. Seeing how miscegenation and blood quantum comes into play with the colonialization of Hawaii was fascinating. I'd never heard of the blood quantum laws in Hawaii before, so that was something new for me. The blood quantum conversation in the book made me want to study it more.
Hakes had a whole bibliography at the end which was incredible!! I love historical fiction with other sources/resources for you to read. There are numerous things in this novel that can be triggering like war, miscarriage, child abandonment, partner abuse, cancer, death of a spouse, incarceration etc so be wary.
Books about family expectations and dynasties are my niche. Learning about Hawaiian history, whether through fiction or non-fiction, always hurts. My heart hurts for a people who can't control their land or government. I always reflect back on Hawaii and Puerto Rico to remind myself that the US is not a benevolent saviour but a colonising empire. The POVs that allowed readers to see the takeover of Hawaii from the point of the people, and the desire to keep Hawaiian culture alive made this book so so special.
The complicated mother-daughter relationship in the Naupka dynasty should be attractive to many readers. The backstory relationship between Hulali and Laka, when shown, is so so sad. Love is there but duty is more prevalent than love. Duty to help Hawaii and further the family line is so ingrained in Hulali from her matriarch that that's all she knows. All of the characters are real and complex. None of them shines out as "good" and "bad." They are all complicated. I understand Hi'i need to be accepted by her mother and grandmother. The drive to be accepted by her indigenous society though she appears like a colonizer is woven through the narrative.
The multiple POVs allow readers to see from all the women's points of view. I wished the backstory with Hulali and Laka was towards the beginning, as well as Hi'i's birth story. It would have helped my frustration between the characters and their actions, which were seemly stupid at times.
I enjoyed how Hakes shows that being Hawaiian does not necessarily mean you look fully Hawaiian. Seeing how miscegenation and blood quantum comes into play with the colonialization of Hawaii was fascinating. I'd never heard of the blood quantum laws in Hawaii before, so that was something new for me. The blood quantum conversation in the book made me want to study it more.
Hakes had a whole bibliography at the end which was incredible!! I love historical fiction with other sources/resources for you to read. There are numerous things in this novel that can be triggering like war, miscarriage, child abandonment, partner abuse, cancer, death of a spouse, incarceration etc so be wary.
May 27, 2023
5⭐ and it made me 😭
No spice!
"Hula is written within the swirls of our feet... You can steal a kingdom, but the kingdom will never belong to you."
How do I even start to describe the complex beautiful emotions I felt while reading this book? Written to focus on a mother and daughter relationship, Jasmin also encapsulates the relationship these two women have with their community of Hilo, Hawaii and that is equally as interesting in thinking about Hawaii's history of being essentially forced to join the US.
Jasmin weaves together the complexities of Hawaiian politics, mythology, society, blood quantum and family life to create this beautiful story that I know will stay with me for a long time. I learned more from this book than any other book this year and while the pacing was sometimes slow and disconnected, I think that was truly based in my own ignorance or Hawaiian culture. This is by far one of the most thought provoking books I've read all year.
Also, why do I know more about Greek and Roman mythology but pretty much nothing about Hawaiian mythology?!
Note: After reading, I learned this author is not Native Hawaiian but did grow up Hilo. This book does center on the outsider feeling of growing up in Hawaii while not being native Hawaiian for the daughter which is extremely authentic but the native Hawaiian characters here are not own voices, as I previously thought.
No spice!
"Hula is written within the swirls of our feet... You can steal a kingdom, but the kingdom will never belong to you."
How do I even start to describe the complex beautiful emotions I felt while reading this book? Written to focus on a mother and daughter relationship, Jasmin also encapsulates the relationship these two women have with their community of Hilo, Hawaii and that is equally as interesting in thinking about Hawaii's history of being essentially forced to join the US.
Jasmin weaves together the complexities of Hawaiian politics, mythology, society, blood quantum and family life to create this beautiful story that I know will stay with me for a long time. I learned more from this book than any other book this year and while the pacing was sometimes slow and disconnected, I think that was truly based in my own ignorance or Hawaiian culture. This is by far one of the most thought provoking books I've read all year.
Also, why do I know more about Greek and Roman mythology but pretty much nothing about Hawaiian mythology?!
Note: After reading, I learned this author is not Native Hawaiian but did grow up Hilo. This book does center on the outsider feeling of growing up in Hawaii while not being native Hawaiian for the daughter which is extremely authentic but the native Hawaiian characters here are not own voices, as I previously thought.
May 14, 2024
Hula by Jasmin Lolani Hakes
Thank you partner BiblioLifestyle and Harper Via
Blurb:
A sweeping saga of tradition, culture, family, history, and connection that unfolds through the lives of three generations of women.
✨ My thoughts:
The cover is gorgeous and is the reason I wanted to join the book tour, because with a cover like that, it has to be good! Overall I’d say the story was enjoyable but it took longer for me to get through it. With heavy history and Hawaiian words/phrases without much context to understand, I had to Google or push through to move forward. I loved getting to know the characters and I was invested in their stories, the whole time wanting to know more. Hula is jam packed with culture, history, and family drama that’ll keep you engaged throughout the story. I have a feeling this would make a really great audiobook too! Definitely different than any historical fiction I’ve read before, i believe many readers will enjoy it!
Happy reading 📖
Thank you partner BiblioLifestyle and Harper Via
Blurb:
A sweeping saga of tradition, culture, family, history, and connection that unfolds through the lives of three generations of women.
✨ My thoughts:
The cover is gorgeous and is the reason I wanted to join the book tour, because with a cover like that, it has to be good! Overall I’d say the story was enjoyable but it took longer for me to get through it. With heavy history and Hawaiian words/phrases without much context to understand, I had to Google or push through to move forward. I loved getting to know the characters and I was invested in their stories, the whole time wanting to know more. Hula is jam packed with culture, history, and family drama that’ll keep you engaged throughout the story. I have a feeling this would make a really great audiobook too! Definitely different than any historical fiction I’ve read before, i believe many readers will enjoy it!
Happy reading 📖
June 21, 2023
The plot of this book is very interesting and I really enjoyed, but the format in how it is written makes it very difficult, more than was worth it. I’m not sure who the narrator is or what POV it actually is. It’s almost like 1st person, but a disconnected first person, but like it’s not? A lot of the dialogue is written in Hawaiian “pidgin” so can be a little hard to understand at times. And there’s a lot of jumping around. Overall, I didn’t rate this book super well cuz I was so confused the whole time (and I’m a harsh rater). I also wish this book had an Hawaiian dictionary to better help learn some of the words that were used. Maybe the narrator is some random family member, kinda seems that way.
Hi’I is a young girl who looks Haole but is in a Hawaiian native family. To the Naupaka’s, Hawaiian is mostly in the blood, and Hi’i doesn’t look like she is part of the family with her red hair and green eyes. Throughout the novel, the narrator tangents into an outsiders perspective, while othertimes being closely immersed in Hi’I’s or Laka’s story. It shows of the family’s fight for the right to their land that the US government has been taking away, promising to return, but never doing it. It shows the hardships native Hawaiians faced as their identity was stripped over time, and how they tried to maintain that through Hula.
SPOILERS BELOW THIS POINT!!! Also kinda a summary if you are looking for that.
Part 1 is about young Hi’i and how she relates to the people around her and how her grandmother, the famous Hulali doesn’t acknowledge her and drives a wedge between the rest of Naupaka’s and Hi’I and her mother. She joins hula and insults another young girl, apparently haole, telling her she doesn’t belong in hula because she’s not real Hawaiian (she was mad people don’t think of her as Hawaiian even tho her family is). It really focuses on Blood Quantum (and it’s mentioned a lot throughout the book). Hi’I goes on a school trip but leaves early due to being on her ma’a and being called out for it (she disobeyed sacred rules by going somewhere while on it and thinks she cursed them when bad things start happening after). Hi’I progresses thru hula and hopes that by doing so she will win her grandmother’s favor. Most of their family won’t accept her because they can’t prove she is actually one of them. Laka becomes pregnant again by a man who is an abusive drunk, Tony. Tony goes to jail for manslaughter. Laka has her baby Malia. Hulali reenters their lives as this baby is a real Hawaiian and somehow things seem a little better as Hulali acknowledges Hi’I now.
Part 2 goes back years before to when Laka was a teen and winning Miss Aloha Hula. It tells how she had a secret boyfriend (David) who she became pregnant by just before the Hula competition and he went off to Vietnam. She runs away to Maui where she miscarries. A young woman helps her through and they become fast friends. They work at a hotel together and go on fun adventures. Beatriz is revealed to be pregnant and the night after she has the baby, Beatriz disappears and no one knows of her and all Laka knew about her family was a lie, so Laka takes the baby and names her Hi’I, believing that the Hawaiian gods sent Beatriz to give the baby she lost to her. She eventually returns home due to not being able to afford living there anymore.
Part 3 once again focuses on Hi’I. Hi’I quits hula at her normal halau and joins another with Jane, who she becomes close friends with. She learns that Jane’s mom was actually Hawaiian which makes Hi’I more angry she is not. Hi’I plans to enter Miss Aloha Hula with a dance from her ancestors and when Laka finds out, she tells her the truth about who she was, a baby from someone else. Upset, Hi’I moves in with Jane for a time before moving to LA with some money from Hulali. Hi’I marries a California Hawaiian (Jacob) and have 2 little girls before he passes from cancer. Malia visits Hi’I in LA and it doesn’t go well, as Malia blames Hi’I (I mean Malia and Hi’I hadn’t seen each other since Malia was a baby). Eventually Hi’I decides to take her daughters to visit home. There’s a big protest going on at the beach cuz the Hawaiians want to build something and the police say no. Some family is watching Hi’I’s girls, Ruth and Emma, so they are on the beach. When Laka sees these girls who look like haole tourists, she screams that they should go away (this last section was chaos).
Part 4. Laka has gotten really involved in the OHA as part of the Kingdom to fight for Hawaiian rights (or something, this is where I get even more confused). More invading businesses, Hawaiians angry, etc etc. David, Laka’s boyfriend from her youth, is found and has some mental issues after trying to escape the war, so Laka takes him in to live on their land. Eventually Tony gets released and moves home too (I think jail straightened him out). They really focus on the Kingdom here and I guess some people renounce Hawaiian/US citizenship to become a “Kingdom member” (idk). By now we’ve had a lot of perspective from the unknown narrator which makes me even more confused. (Honestly, I think Laka and Tony are going psychotic, so it’s getting weird). But BuyMore is persistent (promising jobs and money) and the people are angry. We glance back to Hi’I who hears her mother screamed at her kids and not realizing her mother didn’t realize that, gets angry (BLOOD QUANTUMS). She goes to search for her mother and sees them being arrested at a protest thing (they’re mad no one is listening to them and selling land out from under them). Hi’I shows up at the jail and bails Laka after BuyMore gets their building permits. She sees Jane and confronts her mother. After breaking down she goes back to her mother’s and lays Jacob to rest. Hi’I decides to stay in Hilo. BuyMore is built and barely hires any Hawaiians.
Hi’I is a young girl who looks Haole but is in a Hawaiian native family. To the Naupaka’s, Hawaiian is mostly in the blood, and Hi’i doesn’t look like she is part of the family with her red hair and green eyes. Throughout the novel, the narrator tangents into an outsiders perspective, while othertimes being closely immersed in Hi’I’s or Laka’s story. It shows of the family’s fight for the right to their land that the US government has been taking away, promising to return, but never doing it. It shows the hardships native Hawaiians faced as their identity was stripped over time, and how they tried to maintain that through Hula.
SPOILERS BELOW THIS POINT!!! Also kinda a summary if you are looking for that.
Part 1 is about young Hi’i and how she relates to the people around her and how her grandmother, the famous Hulali doesn’t acknowledge her and drives a wedge between the rest of Naupaka’s and Hi’I and her mother. She joins hula and insults another young girl, apparently haole, telling her she doesn’t belong in hula because she’s not real Hawaiian (she was mad people don’t think of her as Hawaiian even tho her family is). It really focuses on Blood Quantum (and it’s mentioned a lot throughout the book). Hi’I goes on a school trip but leaves early due to being on her ma’a and being called out for it (she disobeyed sacred rules by going somewhere while on it and thinks she cursed them when bad things start happening after). Hi’I progresses thru hula and hopes that by doing so she will win her grandmother’s favor. Most of their family won’t accept her because they can’t prove she is actually one of them. Laka becomes pregnant again by a man who is an abusive drunk, Tony. Tony goes to jail for manslaughter. Laka has her baby Malia. Hulali reenters their lives as this baby is a real Hawaiian and somehow things seem a little better as Hulali acknowledges Hi’I now.
Part 2 goes back years before to when Laka was a teen and winning Miss Aloha Hula. It tells how she had a secret boyfriend (David) who she became pregnant by just before the Hula competition and he went off to Vietnam. She runs away to Maui where she miscarries. A young woman helps her through and they become fast friends. They work at a hotel together and go on fun adventures. Beatriz is revealed to be pregnant and the night after she has the baby, Beatriz disappears and no one knows of her and all Laka knew about her family was a lie, so Laka takes the baby and names her Hi’I, believing that the Hawaiian gods sent Beatriz to give the baby she lost to her. She eventually returns home due to not being able to afford living there anymore.
Part 3 once again focuses on Hi’I. Hi’I quits hula at her normal halau and joins another with Jane, who she becomes close friends with. She learns that Jane’s mom was actually Hawaiian which makes Hi’I more angry she is not. Hi’I plans to enter Miss Aloha Hula with a dance from her ancestors and when Laka finds out, she tells her the truth about who she was, a baby from someone else. Upset, Hi’I moves in with Jane for a time before moving to LA with some money from Hulali. Hi’I marries a California Hawaiian (Jacob) and have 2 little girls before he passes from cancer. Malia visits Hi’I in LA and it doesn’t go well, as Malia blames Hi’I (I mean Malia and Hi’I hadn’t seen each other since Malia was a baby). Eventually Hi’I decides to take her daughters to visit home. There’s a big protest going on at the beach cuz the Hawaiians want to build something and the police say no. Some family is watching Hi’I’s girls, Ruth and Emma, so they are on the beach. When Laka sees these girls who look like haole tourists, she screams that they should go away (this last section was chaos).
Part 4. Laka has gotten really involved in the OHA as part of the Kingdom to fight for Hawaiian rights (or something, this is where I get even more confused). More invading businesses, Hawaiians angry, etc etc. David, Laka’s boyfriend from her youth, is found and has some mental issues after trying to escape the war, so Laka takes him in to live on their land. Eventually Tony gets released and moves home too (I think jail straightened him out). They really focus on the Kingdom here and I guess some people renounce Hawaiian/US citizenship to become a “Kingdom member” (idk). By now we’ve had a lot of perspective from the unknown narrator which makes me even more confused. (Honestly, I think Laka and Tony are going psychotic, so it’s getting weird). But BuyMore is persistent (promising jobs and money) and the people are angry. We glance back to Hi’I who hears her mother screamed at her kids and not realizing her mother didn’t realize that, gets angry (BLOOD QUANTUMS). She goes to search for her mother and sees them being arrested at a protest thing (they’re mad no one is listening to them and selling land out from under them). Hi’I shows up at the jail and bails Laka after BuyMore gets their building permits. She sees Jane and confronts her mother. After breaking down she goes back to her mother’s and lays Jacob to rest. Hi’I decides to stay in Hilo. BuyMore is built and barely hires any Hawaiians.
June 2, 2023
Absolutely gorgeous and featured a history I had no familiarity with.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 733 reviews