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A review by bluemoosetom
Unfamiliar Fishes by Sarah Vowell
3.0
This book didn't suck me in like previous [a:Sarah Vowell|2122|Sarah Vowell|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1297911965p2/2122.jpg] ones did ([b:Assassination Vacation|8014090|Assassination Vacation|Sarah Vowell|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1270893913s/8014090.jpg|824686] and [b:The Wordy Shipmates|2845287|The Wordy Shipmates|Sarah Vowell|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1256066727s/2845287.jpg|3093704]. It was a similar history, personalized with her own experiences traveling to sites with the family and her own family's history with government intervention and missionaries (since she is part Cherokee). Not as strong as the previous two, but I did find it illuminating in several ways.
First, I had never thought much of how Hawaii came to be annexed in 1898, nor did I think of the real potential that many native Hawaiians are still angry about that.
Second, I think the reason that I did not enjoy this book as much as previous ones was that the missionaries didn't seem to be anywhere near as interesting as the European founders of New England, and that many of the native Hawaiian royalty seemed to be doing everything within their power to give up control of the island nation. To say that Hawaii was poorly governed in the 19th Century is to put it mildly. While I can still understand anger at the annexation, there was a power vacuum, and the European settlers exploited it. Strong do what they can, weak endure what they must, same rule as when [a:Thucydides|957|Thucydides|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1206544282p2/957.jpg] said it 2500 years ago.
I was also hoping the book would have discussed more about the Spanish-American War. It touched on it, but not extensively.
First, I had never thought much of how Hawaii came to be annexed in 1898, nor did I think of the real potential that many native Hawaiians are still angry about that.
Second, I think the reason that I did not enjoy this book as much as previous ones was that the missionaries didn't seem to be anywhere near as interesting as the European founders of New England, and that many of the native Hawaiian royalty seemed to be doing everything within their power to give up control of the island nation. To say that Hawaii was poorly governed in the 19th Century is to put it mildly. While I can still understand anger at the annexation, there was a power vacuum, and the European settlers exploited it. Strong do what they can, weak endure what they must, same rule as when [a:Thucydides|957|Thucydides|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1206544282p2/957.jpg] said it 2500 years ago.
I was also hoping the book would have discussed more about the Spanish-American War. It touched on it, but not extensively.