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otterno11 's review for:
Unfamiliar Fishes
by Sarah Vowell
In "Unfamiliar Fishes," Sarah Vowell continues in the themes of her previous book, "The Wordy Shipmates," exploring, in her witty, acerbic style, the complex intersections of religion, freedom, and greed in American culture, focusing on the unique state of Hawaii. Like in "The Wordy Shipmates," Vowell focuses more on the fascinating history of what forces brought a kingdom into the United States of America rather than her own persoanl experiences, though her Vowell's interactions and insights visiting various historical sights and people are still my favorite part of the work. The culture clashes between the native Hawaiians, (nobility and common people), the haole, (missionaries and American capitalists) led to many complex and odd alliances that made for gripping listening, in particular the aside on whaling and Melville. Having not studied Hawaii in depth in the past, I am now really interested in visiting (of course, listening to Vowell's lush descriptions of the islands in the depth of a Minnesota winter does not help!)