Hula: A Novel

Living on the East Coast, my knowledge of Hawaii was limited to the stereotypes one sees on TV. A college friend of mine recommended this book and since it was appearing on all sorts of 'must read' lists, I gave it a go.Not only does the author tell a wonderful story of a young Hawaiian woman trying to find her place in the world, but she weaves in bits and pieces of Hawaiian history into the mix along the way. I learned so much about not only the State of Hawaii but the kingdom that proceeded it.If you belong to a book group, suggest this book! And if you don't belong to one, grab a copy for yourself.

Whew, what an achievement. The author has put her heart and soul into this book. It takes courage to tap into and portray the complicated, emotional undercurrent apparent in Hawai'i. My daughter and I have lived on the Big Island for 30 years, and danced hula for 8 of those. So I pre-ordered this book :-). I especially appreciated her description of dancing hula - not an easy feat - and worth the price of admission. But the book is about so much more than that. Hake's research was meticulous and only someone who has lived here and experienced some of these circumstances and conditions could write about them so eloquently. Maika'i. Very well written, an excellent read.

If you have lived in Hawaii, are from Hawaii or visited Hawaii and learned about the culture, this novel will immerse you. Complex story with historical facts woven into the overall story. Imua O Hilo!!

I grew up in Honolulu, but have spent my adult life in Hilo. This book really captures the feel of Hilo!

I actually listened to the audio version which I felt had a larger impact that simply reading the story. As a native of Keaukaha, it was sometimes jarring to hear of my home depicted the way it was. Close, but just slightly out of focus at times. Some of the historical interpretations of what I have grown up studying and knowing were also not quite aligned with my own personal takes, and her reshuffling of some things like how Merrie Monarch was created and run left me uncomfortable. I know that some of it was artistic license on the part of the author, and part possibly due to her own experiences as a child growing up there. As a lifelong Hilo girl, native Hawaiian, hula dancer and Keaukaha resident, some of those things just felt jarring.All this said, the underlying story of Hiʻi, Laka and Hulali was heartrending at times. Frustratingly and often achingly familiar at others. I listened through twice, and on the second run once I was able to let go of my biased prejudices about my hometown and my preconceived sense of history and what it should be, I was better able to enjoy the story, the writerʻs prose, and the way she wove the tale of the three Naupaka women.I wonder how much of what she wrote will be viewed by people outside of Hawaiʻi as an ugly truth i.e. her descriptions of kānaka views regarding the "interlopers". The thing about the truth is that even if it is ugly, itʻs still the truth. Even if hearing it put so black and white even made me cringe, and I live here and see it on a day to day basis. Four stars.

This is a story about found family and culture that is lost and found again. It is heartbreaking and eye opening. It took a cultural story I had a modest understanding of from a very whitewashed perspective and opened my eye to the story told by those whom it impacted. At the center is the story of a family and how this cultural story shapes the story of three generations of their family as well. Hula is beautiful and yet so sad but still hopeful.That is not to say that it was an easy book to read. I will be honest, it took me a bit to get into. The writing style was different than I was used to. The pacing and weaving of the story took a bit to adjust to. I also found the Hawaiian Pidgin hard to understand at parts and wondered if a glossary should have been included. I even found myself having to look a few words up to clarify. Towards the end of the book, my perspective changed though. As I read, my understanding grew and the words that were used in different contexts throughout, gave me a hard one understanding. In some ways, that is part of the beauty of this book. You have to work for it and it is a book that is worth the investment.

This was a slow start for me and I wasn't sure how far I'd get but I got used to the writing style which was more of a narrative and I was sucked into the story of three generations of women, part of an old Hawaiian dynasty, Hulali, daughter of Ula, Laka and Laka's daughter, Hi'i as the work through their mother-daughter issues and fight to maintain their land and traditions. I had the privilege of going to Hawaii and the imagery for Hilo was beautiful. I usually like more character development but in this Hilo was a character that was most developed. The only downside for me was the author took for granted I knew more Hawaiian beyond aloha, luau and poi. Still I would recommend without reservation.I would like to thank Netgalley and Harper Via for providing me with a digital copy.

Hula is an emotional story of family and Hawaiian culture focusing on three generations of Naupaka women, Hulali, Laka, and Hi'i. While each of these women are very different in many ways from each other, they also have many things in common. The majority of this story, told over many years and following each of the women through the trials and triumphs of life, takes place in Hilo. While the author is clear in her notes that this is a work of fiction, the themes throughout the book of the colonization of Hawaii by America, as well as many other political issues are very real. I enjoyed the often raw emotion you could feel between mother and daughter, and felt that the author did a great job showing the passion that each woman has. This story touches on many themes of tradition, family, love, and culture, and I will not think of Hawaii in the same way again after reading it. Thank you to Net Galley and Harper Collins for an advanced copy of this book, all opinions are my own.