The Aloha State
We definitely need some more books for this state! Send your suggestions and please don’t forget to tell me why you think that book is a good fit. The book doesn’t need to be explicitly about the state, only clearly set in it and written by someone who actually lived there. I have a bias towards books written by authors who are still living so that we can reflect more on modern Hawaii but I won’t turn down a classic if you make a good argument for it!
Books are in no order of preference. That they are on this list is not a reflection of my personal taste or even that I’ve read them — I want you to find what works for you.
The Descendants by Kaui Hart Hemmings, fiction
The Middle Son by Deborah Iida, fiction
Purchase via Bookshop not available
Paradise Park by Allegra Goodman, fiction / spirituality
The Parrot Talks in Chocolate: The Life and Times of a Hawaiian TIKI Bar by Everett Peacock, fiction
This is Paradise by Kristiana Kahakauwila, short stories
Shark Dialogues by Kiana Davenport, historical fiction / magical realism
Purchase via Bookshop not available
Song of the Exile by Kiana Davenport, historical fiction
The Wave: In Pursuit of the Rogues, Freaks, and Giants of the Ocean by Susan Casey, non-fiction
Purchase via Bookshop to support independent bookstores.
Purchase via Amazon? Links coming soon.
Photo credit: Erick Zajac