denisemar76 's review for:

Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz

5.0

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This is a 1970s era fictionalized account of the island of Oahu during a time of rapid change, written by a professor of microbiology. 1850s Honolulu is dusty, crowded, and drunken. The aftermath of battle between the ruling chiefs of Oahu and the Kamehameha dynasty is given an interesting and detailed treatment. Also, disease is ravaging the native Hawaiian population. Interestingly, a vaccine for smallpox is available and gives some protection, that is if you don’t die from infection. Christianity and the indigenous religion are in a somewhat uneasy compromise but already the difference between Christian “values” and indigenous ways is apparent. The loss of the kapu system has had serious consequences for not only the sacred but the everyday lives of Hawaiians. The author had an intimate knowledge of the places and place names of Oahu especially the historically significant windward coast, so the book is worth reading for the lore of place alone. Told from two different perspectives, a native Hawaiian from the upper class and a white settler rancher who has suffered a grievous loss, the book is both funny and tragic.