Reviews

Honolulu by Alan Brennert

lnocita's review against another edition

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5.0

Honolulu is a sweeping piece of historical fiction. Regret is a Korean girl whose father is very traditional. Korean tradition dictated that women were very much second class citizens with no rights of their own. Additionally, they lived a very sequestered and fettered life, serving first their families and then, later, their husband, usually by arranged marriage. There was no education outside of the home. Regret yearns for a bigger life and jumps at the opportunity to become a "picture bride," an arranged marriage of sorts to Korean nationals living abroad. In this, Regret has some choice in choosing her husband based on photos and a dossier about the men who are looking for wives. She leaves home under a cloud of dishonor as her father disowns her for her brashness. She journeys to Hawaii to meet her husband and is dismayed to find that he and the other "husbands" bear little resemblance to their dossiers. Although she has the chance to back out of the marriage, she chooses to go ahead with it, hoping for a brighter future. When her first husband turns out to be a lush and have a brutish temper, she flees and goes to live in Honolulu eventually securing a divorce and a brighter future for herself through much hard work and determination. Very engaging narrative.

spicy_meringue's review

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adventurous emotional informative fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

sapphirestars's review

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4.0

Wonderful story! I loved reading the fictional story of Regret (Jin/Gem) and wasn't bored at any point. The richness of the story, the history of Hawaii and the narrative itself prompted me to finish it in less than 24 hours. I was recommended this book last semester when discussing historical fiction in my Information Needs of Adults course and am glad I looked into reading the sample :) I have put Moloka'i on hold at the library and look forward to it reading it (assuming it gets here and I don't have to resort to other means!)

grubbynote's review against another edition

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5.0

Loved it. I haven't read Moloka'i yet but I will now!

bethaniekay's review

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5.0

It's not often that I would give a book 5 stars here on Goodreads, but I really did love this book.

I wasn't really sure what to expect with this 'historical fiction' -- but although a staggering amount of research and planning must have gone into this book, it truly reads like the fictional story it is. It's possible that more of it is historical than I even realize, as there are so many details about things that I probably didn't even realize were 'real' as I was reading it; such as the clothing, music, language, customs, architecture, neighborhoods and foods, not to mention the real life characters (who are given brief mention at the end of the book, along with their photographs). All of this combined to create a highly descriptive and entertaining story -- the author really has an incredible way of painting a picture. This was one book I didn't want to skim, as I truly enjoyed all of the details.

As for the storyline - it was captivating and realistic and I really cared about all of the characters. I was also amazed at how he was able to weave together the pieces of the characters' lives in a believable manner (especially the 4 'picture brides'), instead of making the various events seem contrived just to suit the direction he wanted the storyline to go. I truly enjoyed following Jin and her family and friends along the paths of their lives.

Finally -- I admit that I dislike stories in which all the loose ends aren't tied up by the final page, and I was not disappointed here. The author managed to conclude everything in a perfect way, in my opinion, so that I turned the final page with a great sense of satisfaction.

An excellent read -- I'll be recommending this to others.

jenfantoni's review

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4.0

Beautiful and rich story about a Korean picture bride and her life journey. Really enjoyed this one!

dragonflymorning's review against another edition

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4.0

I gobbled up this delicious story in 24 hours. The protagonist is sympathetic and believable within her settings and her narrative flows so seamlessly through her life that it’s hard to put the book down. My only regret would be that she is in so many historically significant moments that she comes off as the Forrest Gump of Hawaii. If it happened in Hawaii, she was somehow involved. Still a thoroughly enjoyable read!

skynet666's review against another edition

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4.0

This was a great read. I loved the characters and the story. Historical fiction has always been something I enjoy because it lets you learn while being entertained. It was a long story with tons of time and events packed in, but it went fast. There was one point in the book where things started to slow a bit, but never enough to bother me.

brighroosh's review against another edition

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5.0

Such a clearly written, engrossing story, written from the viewpoint of a Korean picture bride whose given name was "Regret." We follow her story from Japanese occupied Korea to Hawaii, where Alan Brennert deftly weaves true events into Jin's (as she became known) life.
Under the story line the reader is aware of Brennert's tremendous research, but it is never laid on top of the characters' stories as an aside or contextual fluff.
We become so drawn in to the story that it took me a couple of hours to let it all settle in my consciousness how timeless were the injustices, the disappointments, the racism, and the domestic abuse in the story. And yet also the ambitions for a better life, family, food, and unbroken bonds are beautifully wrought throughout.
I especially liked the character of May Thompson, who was a real person that Somerset Maugham met and immortalized in his version of her story as "Sadie Thompson." Brennert gives her colorful "American" language in contrast to the formal Asian languages and pidgin English spoken by other characters.
Thoroughly enjoyed this book (as I had "Molokai" also by Brennert)

cdel1313's review against another edition

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4.0

I wanted to read this after reading Moloka'i, which had to be one of my all-time favorite books.

I liked Honolulu, the story of a Korean picture bride who moves to Hawaii to better her life and get the education she's always wanted. Unfortunately, things don't work out on that front for Regret, the main character. Lots of family drama and history is interwoven in this story. Definitely worth a read.