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A review by bethfishreads
Hula by Jasmin Iolani Hakes
4.0
This novel pushes back the curtain to show us just a part of what remained of traditional Hawai'i in the late mid-century, just before the huge onslaught of tourism and commercialism that make up most of the state today.
The novel focuses on the women of the Naupaka family of the Big Island. Though the women's lives collectively span the 1900s and beyond, the core of the story is set in the 1960s and 1970s, when political, economic, and culture change charged the air.
I have so many thoughts about this novel, which are colored by own experiences of working and living in the state in the late 1970s. Most of my friends and coworkers had been born and raised in Hawai'i and were of a variety of cultural backgrounds. Talk around the lunch table and at weekend get-togethers often turned to hula, indigenous rights, land and housing, gawking tourists, and the destruction of special and significant places throughout the islands.
Based on my brief insider-outsider status, Hula gets everything right. And why wouldn't it? The author grew up in Hawai'i during this time of change.
Other important themes covered in the book are mother-daughter relationships, fitting in, cultural traditions, and governmental white supremacy (male WASP and white Catholic political, religious, and economic leaders know what's best for everyone and also know best how to loophole their way into getting whatever they want).
Lest you think Hula is too heavy for you, rest assured that there's family, friend, and relationship drama to carry the reader along.
Whether you've vacationed in Hawai'i, worked in Hawai'i, or grew up in Hawai'i this is a must-read novel.
The audiobook was performed by Mapuana Makia, who did a brilliant job. Thanks to her Hawai'ian background, her pronunciations and cadences and natural-sounding pidgin brought the characters alive. Her understanding of the material increases the listener's connection to the emotional core of the story as well as the importance of the broader themes.
Note that the print book ends with a list of resources, especially focusing on land rights and sovereignty. For more information about hula, see the National Geographic article "The Surprising History of Hawai'i's Hula Tradition." (https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/the-surprising-history-of-hawaiis-hula-tradition)
The novel focuses on the women of the Naupaka family of the Big Island. Though the women's lives collectively span the 1900s and beyond, the core of the story is set in the 1960s and 1970s, when political, economic, and culture change charged the air.
I have so many thoughts about this novel, which are colored by own experiences of working and living in the state in the late 1970s. Most of my friends and coworkers had been born and raised in Hawai'i and were of a variety of cultural backgrounds. Talk around the lunch table and at weekend get-togethers often turned to hula, indigenous rights, land and housing, gawking tourists, and the destruction of special and significant places throughout the islands.
Based on my brief insider-outsider status, Hula gets everything right. And why wouldn't it? The author grew up in Hawai'i during this time of change.
Other important themes covered in the book are mother-daughter relationships, fitting in, cultural traditions, and governmental white supremacy (male WASP and white Catholic political, religious, and economic leaders know what's best for everyone and also know best how to loophole their way into getting whatever they want).
Lest you think Hula is too heavy for you, rest assured that there's family, friend, and relationship drama to carry the reader along.
Whether you've vacationed in Hawai'i, worked in Hawai'i, or grew up in Hawai'i this is a must-read novel.
The audiobook was performed by Mapuana Makia, who did a brilliant job. Thanks to her Hawai'ian background, her pronunciations and cadences and natural-sounding pidgin brought the characters alive. Her understanding of the material increases the listener's connection to the emotional core of the story as well as the importance of the broader themes.
Note that the print book ends with a list of resources, especially focusing on land rights and sovereignty. For more information about hula, see the National Geographic article "The Surprising History of Hawai'i's Hula Tradition." (https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/the-surprising-history-of-hawaiis-hula-tradition)
Thanks to the publishers (and Libro.fm) for review copies in various formats.