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fulyao's review against another edition
5.0
Loved this book, focused on a different group of people living in Hawaii at the turn of the 20th century.
bbrad86's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
noesbookishthings's review against another edition
5.0
This has to be the best book I've read since Gone With the Wind. Seriously. I know that being from Hawaii I am biased, but the novel was so well written, the characters so rich and well developed it blew me away. And being from Hawaii, the inlcusion of real life characters like Duke Kahanamoku and Queen Lilioukalani made it especially simple. As a writer, I greatly admire the amount of tireless research it must have taken the author to write such an incredible and detail-oriented story. It was especially delightful to learn new things about Hawaiian history, something that, after years and years of being taught on the subject in the Hawaii school system, does not happen often. I strongly recommend this book to all of my friends who grew up in Hawaii.
omegabeth's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
slow-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
4.25
This is a chunky book, but it was perfect for an 11 hour flight to Honolulu. This reminded me of James Michener’s sprawling historical sagas, but instead of multiple generations it is just one lifetime. The changes in Honolulu from pre- WWI through WWII are a deep and rich well, and the author has done his homework to create a satisfying story. I became emotionally invested very quickly and feel like I learned a lot by accident!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, and Murder
Moderate: Alcoholism
ncostell's review
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
trin's review against another edition
3.0
Earnest white guy novel about a group of Korean picture brides who settle in Hawaii in the early part of the 20th century. This book is well-intentioned and certainly well-researched, but it never felt authentic to me—essentially because it isn’t. Like the prose style, the plot is workmanlike, maybe a little bland. It’s not bad by any means, but it doesn’t really say anything new, or say what it is saying in a new way. I read this for work, and that’s really the only reason I would have; it’s just not my kind of novel.
stephaniesteen73's review against another edition
4.0
A historical fiction novel that taught me a lot about a time period (early 1920s), culture (Korean) and place (Hawaii) I knew little about. A great, engaging story!
kaylaehughes's review against another edition
3.0
I felt like I needed to read this since I live in Honolulu. All of the ⅔ star ratings for this book are correct. It’s just too much. The author was going for a Forrest Gump situation where our unassuming, random layperson main character is somehow part of every important historical event. Spoilers following: She’s bff’s with Chang Apana and the original Waikiki beach boys, meets and catches the attention of Queen Liliuokalani, is front and center with the Lassie case, her kids just happen to jump on Duke Kahanamoku’s surfboard and surf/play with him? Oh, and she becomes the FOUNDER of Liliha bakery/cafe and is the original maker of Aloha Shirts???
But, despite all this, she’s written as a meek, submissive, obedient wife who never truly finds a backbone. She does manage to leave her abusive husband and file for divorce, only to jump into another marriage where she goes back to serving her husband and being a dutiful wife. She never puts anyone in their place, not even when the new dude gives her shit for escaping an abusive relationship and wanting to divorce that man. She and many of the other characters are typical asian women as written by a white male.
Also, this book somehow manages to briefly touch on the glaring inequities stemming from the overthrow of the kingdom of Hawai’i, but still ends up reading as pro-America, nationalist propaganda.
I liked the main character’s story. I wish we had just stuck with that and that the plot was more … cohesive. Maybe becoming bff’s with just 1 or 2 historical figures would have been enough.
book_concierge's review against another edition
3.0
3.5***
From the book jacket: The rich, unforgettable story of a young "picture bride" who journeys to Hawai'i in 1914 in search of a better life. Instead of the affluent young husband and chance at an education that she has been promised, she is quickly married off to a poor, embittered laborer who takes his frustrations out on his new wife. Renaming herself Jin, she makes her own way in this strange land, finding both opportunity and prejudice. With the help of three of her fellow picture brides, Jin prospers along with her adopted city, now growing from a small territorial capital into the great multicultural city it is today.
My reactions:
I loved Brennert’s Molokai’i and wanted to love this one as well. My husband actually read the book a few years ago and thought it was good, but I just had never gotten around to it. A long travel journey prompted me to bring it along and I was glad that I did.
Regret / Jin is a marvelous character. She starts out a shy, subservient girl and grows throughout the novel into a strong woman. Yes, she still fills the traditional role of wife and mother, but she refuses to be held down by societal expectations. She finds a way to succeed and thrive, while still upholding the traditional ways she finds so hard to discard.
I’ve visited Hawaii several times and could picture many of the settings depicted in the novel, despite the vast differences in today’s Honolulu from that of 1914. I was fascinated by the history lesson and the glimpse into life during that time period. I also really appreciated the author’s note at the end, where he comments on the “real-life” May Thompson and how W. Sommerset Maugham used her life experiences in one of his novels.
From the book jacket: The rich, unforgettable story of a young "picture bride" who journeys to Hawai'i in 1914 in search of a better life. Instead of the affluent young husband and chance at an education that she has been promised, she is quickly married off to a poor, embittered laborer who takes his frustrations out on his new wife. Renaming herself Jin, she makes her own way in this strange land, finding both opportunity and prejudice. With the help of three of her fellow picture brides, Jin prospers along with her adopted city, now growing from a small territorial capital into the great multicultural city it is today.
My reactions:
I loved Brennert’s Molokai’i and wanted to love this one as well. My husband actually read the book a few years ago and thought it was good, but I just had never gotten around to it. A long travel journey prompted me to bring it along and I was glad that I did.
Regret / Jin is a marvelous character. She starts out a shy, subservient girl and grows throughout the novel into a strong woman. Yes, she still fills the traditional role of wife and mother, but she refuses to be held down by societal expectations. She finds a way to succeed and thrive, while still upholding the traditional ways she finds so hard to discard.
I’ve visited Hawaii several times and could picture many of the settings depicted in the novel, despite the vast differences in today’s Honolulu from that of 1914. I was fascinated by the history lesson and the glimpse into life during that time period. I also really appreciated the author’s note at the end, where he comments on the “real-life” May Thompson and how W. Sommerset Maugham used her life experiences in one of his novels.