HONOLULU
by Alan Brennert
This
second novel of Mr. Brennert’s Hawai‘i stories begins in Korea, where a young
girl, the story’s protagonist, is raised. Her rural village is Pojogae. As
girls are not so important, the names they are saddled with are often less than
flattering. This girl is named “Regret” which tells its own story.
A
staple of the family diet, served at all meals, is kimchi. This is a spicy side dish made from fermented cabbage,
garlic, and red peppers. New brides kowtow to every whim of their
mother-in-law. A chogak po is a
patchwork cloth (quilt), which I found to be a metaphor for life within the
story. These are a few of the interesting facts about Korean history and
tradition that I learned from reading HONOLULU. I also enjoyed learning how
these traditions translated to life in Hawai‘i.
When
Regret’s father discovers she has learned to read, he becomes furious and
spouts a Korean saying: “A woman without ability is virtuous!” (You know a
woman who can reach, and is challenged by such a statement, will not go quietly
into the night! In this case, she sails to Hawai‘i.)
Within
the novel, the author seamlessly weaves fact with fiction for an entertaining
read. As with his novel, Moloka‘i, he maintains a high level of tension which
held me captive throughout.
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HAWAII'S STORY Story by Hawaii’s Queen
written by Queen Liliuokalani
This
book was first published in 1898, written in the first person narrative of
Queen Liliuokalani: “In my school days . . .” “I especially recall a trip . .
.” “my brother,” (King David Kalakaua). She, as the last reigning queen of the
Hawaiian Islands, was looking for justice after the overthrow of the Hawaiian
Monarchy. During her school days, she already experienced the differences
between Polynesian and Western values. After her marriage in Honolulu to a prominent
Caucasian male, she (a descendant of royalty) suffered the hostility of her
Caucasian mother-in-law’s disapproval of interracial marriage.
Still,
Liliuokalani did have many good times in her life, music being a top enjoyment
for her. She played many musical instruments, including the organ, zither, and
ukulele. She composed Hawai‘i’s national anthem and the noted love song, “Aloha
‘Oe.”
Of
especial interest to me are the several genealogical charts included at the
back of the book that begin generations before the birth of King Kamehameha I.
**********
Mr.
Brennert’s novel covers the hardships and losses of a Korean woman raised in
the foreign land of Honolulu, Hawai‘i. This true story of Liliuokalani tells of
a woman raised in the land of her ancestors, who suffered the greatest of
losses, the ultimate loss by herself and her people of their land; and the loss
of her freedom. Hawaii’s Story is
also the story of Hawaii’s Queen
Liliuokalani.
**********
