Synopses & Reviews
2010 BAIPA Award Winner: Best Historical Fiction.
How did Hawaii become part of America? This story, inspired by true events suppressed for nearly 100 years, is the one James Michener never wrote. In 1886, Laura Jennings travels to Hawaii to live with missionary relatives. She imagines she'll live in a grass hut, ministering to savages. When she arrives in Honolulu, she's surprised to find her relatives are among the wealthy elite plotting to overthrow the Hawaiian monarchy. And, far from being savages, the Hawaiians have developed a charming and prosperous Victorian kingdom. To avoid her conniving uncle's control, Laura leaves to work for the royal family and learns her family's prejudices against them are false. The last Queen, Lili-uokalani, wages a tragic struggle to save the Kingdom. Through choices she makes when every avenue is blocked, Laura sees the power that can restore the spirit of a people caught in a turbulent world and discovers how long-hidden secrets of her own family
Synopsis
In 1886, following the tragic deaths of her father and her fianc, Laura Jennings, now alone in the world, travels to Hawaii to live with missionary relatives. Laura imagines she'll live in a grass hut and minister to savages, but, on arriving in Honolulu, she's surprised to find that, far from being savages, the Hawaiians have developed a charming and prosperous kingdomand Laura's family is among the wealthy elite plotting to overthrow the monarchy. To avoid her conniving uncle's control, Laura goes to work for the royal family, and learns that her relatives' prejudices against them are unfounded. Hawaii's last queen, Lili'uokalani, struggles to save the kingdom. As the Missionary Party intensifies its opposition, the queen's efforts reveal to Laura a power that can restore the spirit of a people caught up in a turbulent, changing world, and she discovers how her own family's long-hidden secrets can lead the way to reunification.
Synopsis
Winner: Hawai'i Book Publishers Association Ka Palapala Po'okela Award and Winner: BAIPA (Bay Area Independent Publishers Association) award for Best Historical Novel