This was weird because I really love the story of the final years of the Hawaiian Monarchy and I think it is an important story to tell about American Imperialism and how we tend to be real jerks. But the fiction portions of this story were poorly written and contrived. Laura bugged me with her perfect non-racist attitude when in reality, that was not likely at all given her background. All the storylines surrounding Laura seemed so unlikely that it detracted from the real history that I was interested in reading. I'm hoping to find another historical fiction written around this time period that will make up for this one. In this novel, author Gaellen Quinn tells the true story of the overthrow and imprisonment of Hawaii's last queen and the resulting annexation of Hawaii to the US. This history is not widely known outside of Hawaii.It can be debated whether or not the US affiliation was good or bad in the long run, in the short run or the future, but there can be no serious debate on the ethics of those who engineered the US annexation. What they did was totally shameful. This novel captures not only the actions but the attitudes that spawned them. The story unfolds for the reader as it does for the fictional protagonist, Laura, who is a newcomer to the islands.Quinn does a good job of bringing the characters to life. The descendants of the missionaries prospered and developed a sense of entitlement. She shows the society they developed (fancy balls, formal dinners, carriages and calling cards) and its authoritarian underpinnings. In home-life there is little warmth. Laura's uncle controls his family through "discipline" and tries to control Laura by limiting her options. Through John Dominus's words you understand the the Queen's loveless marriage.Several times a month, I pass the statue of Lili'oukalani holding her Constitution and a copy of "Hawaii Oe". Each time I pass it, there are different mementos: leis, flowers, a candle or maybe a ribbon. Someone has always placed a piece of something thoughtful in her hand or at the statue's base. I presume these are removed each evening by a maintenanc crew, and each day, something new appears. These are expressions of how much Hawaiians love this queen. At the annual Kamehameha celebration, many dress in black to mourn the end of the Kingdom of Hawaii.(I still do not understand why the Statue of Lili'oukalani is placed behind the State Capitol building, nor why her home served as the Governor's Mansion for many years and is currently part of the Governor's Mansion complex. Her statue deserves its own place and should not be at the rear of this particular building. Her residence should never have been the home of governors. It is not widely known that tours of the former residence can arranged. This should not be. The home should be open with tour hours posted just like many other homes of other leaders and persons of achievement throughout the US.)I visited the author's web site and was drawn to the page "Why I Wrote this Book". Gaellen Quinn had visited Hawaii and read James Michener's 1959 novel "Hawaii". Michener skips the overthrow in this epic novel. This is a giant void for a detail oriented writer/researcher such as Michener, a human rights supporter, who often lived in a location for two years before writing an epic novel. Quinn explains on her web site that in this period (as Hawaiians were voting on statehood) the story had been suppressed by the descendants of the missionaries, who became the business and political establishment and held important documents in private collections. Quinn only learned of what is locally called "The Overthrow" through a new Hawaiian in-law.Hopefully this book will be more widely read. A new movie "Princess Kaiulani" is now in theaters and may spark more interest in this sad episode of Hawaiian history. This book relies on dialog and journal entries to tell the story and could easily be adapted to a film as well.
What do You think about The Last Aloha (2009)?
Every engaging historical fiction dealing with the annexation of Hawaii to the United States. Brava!
—Bev
Loved this book! Enjoyed it even more as I was able to read part of the book while I was in Hawaii.
—teentwang
Loved the history of Hawaii and the blend of real and fictional characters. Very interesting.
—TheBlackN3rd
I enjoyed this book so much. I am glad to know more about the history of Hawaii.
—Megz
