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zombiezami's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
3.75
As other reviewers have said, the title of this book is misleading. You don't really get that much of a sense of how everyday Hawaiians who weren't part of the monarchy were living at this time. And why would you? This is written by a literal queen. The beginning part of the book was pretty boring to me, with the discussion of all the parties and who was related to whom. Things do definitely pick up after the Bayonet Constitution chapter.
Given all that Hawaii is facing right now, with gentrification, displacement, and environmental degradation, I think this is an illuminating book for tracing the roots of those issues. It was fascinating to find that Lili'uokalani saw Hawaiians as so distinct from other indigenous colonized peoples for being "civilized and Christian." I know that many Hawaiians today do draw a distinction between themselves and Native Americans in the contiguous United States. While I think that distinction is fair because the way that they lost their sovereignty is not the same, it just goes to show the importance of solidarity. It doesn't matter if you appeal to the morality of oppressors or try to emulate them. They will conquer all the same.
Given all that Hawaii is facing right now, with gentrification, displacement, and environmental degradation, I think this is an illuminating book for tracing the roots of those issues. It was fascinating to find that Lili'uokalani saw Hawaiians as so distinct from other indigenous colonized peoples for being "civilized and Christian." I know that many Hawaiians today do draw a distinction between themselves and Native Americans in the contiguous United States. While I think that distinction is fair because the way that they lost their sovereignty is not the same, it just goes to show the importance of solidarity. It doesn't matter if you appeal to the morality of oppressors or try to emulate them. They will conquer all the same.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation and Racism
Moderate: Death, Chronic illness, Gun violence, Child death, Confinement, and Sexism
Minor: Ableism, Stalking, Drug use, and Death of parent
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