Wow. I’m reeling from the lyricism of this prose and the depth of this family’s story. The magical realism of this novel does nothing to detract from the all-to-real themes about expectations from family, duty to self, and purpose within the greater world. This novel’s lush descriptions of Hawai’i and its culture made me want to go to the nearest beach just to sit and be near the ocean— something so large, powerful, unfathomable.

While Nainoa’s journey may have been the central story from which the others’ grew, I was most drawn to was Kaui. The other members of the Flores family seemed to flounder (or ultimately succumb) to the weaknesses they learned about themselves. Kaui fiercely refused to be seen as “less than” from anyone, even from within her own family. Even from herself. She was powerful.

“She never said shit like this to the boys, only to me. Like I was supposed to be guilty of ambition while they were just living their full potential.”