Honolulu (Alan Brennert)

From the bestselling author of the "dazzling historical saga" (The Washington Post), Moloka'i, comes the irresistible story of a young immigrant bride in a ramshackle town that becomes a great modern city"

In Korea in those days, newborn girls were not deemed important enough to be graced with formal names, but were instead given nicknames, which often reflected the parents' feelings on the birth of a daughter: I knew a girl named Anger, and another called Pity. As for me, my parents named me Regret.

"Honolulu is the rich, unforgettable story of a young "picture bride" who journeys to Hawai'i in 1914 in search of a better life.Instead of the affluent young husband and chance at an education that she has been promised, she is quickly married off to a poor, embittered laborer who takes his frustrations out on his new wife. Renaming herself Jin, she makes her own way in this strange land, finding both opportunity and prejudice. With the help of three of her fellow picture brides, Jin prospers along with her adopted city, now growing from a small territorial capital into the great multicultural city it is today. But paradise has its dark side, whether it's the daily struggle for survival in Honolulu's tenements, or a crime that will become the most infamous in the islands' history...

With its passionate knowledge of people and places in Hawai'i far off the tourist track, Honolulu is most of all the spellbinding tale of four women in a new world, united by dreams, disappointment, sacrifices, and friendship. (From Chapters Online)

Discussion Notes
Our book club found that this book was a fast read that made the perfect book for summer. There were lots of characters and plot so even though it was quick to read it there was some depth to it. Some of our concerns regarding the novel were that it only focused on one section of Honolulu, we were hoping for a broader view of the city, and that towards the end of the novel, the plot became very convient. Some of the storylines wrapped up too easily. Also, we found that the questions provided at the back of the book were very general, and some required background knowledge that you wouldn't have learned by reading the book. Overall, while we enjoyed this book, we preferred Alan Brennert's first book, Molokai better.

Rating = 3.5 Irises