I’m local and here are some novels I enjoyed. The Descendants by Kaui Hart Hemmings. The Tattoo by Chris McKinney. Hawaii by Mark Panek. All I Asking For Is My Body by Milton Murayama.
For nonfiction I found Hawaiian Antiquities by David Malo, and Shoal of Time by Gavan Daws to be informative.
I know Chris McKinney- he’s given up a lot to continue being a local Hawaii writer.
Paraphrasing- he said , I can write for people who know Hawaii, or I can write for the rest and f the world.
Interesting. Hopefully this is just as a supplimental book because it does not present a very objective view of plantations/imperialism or the impact of Native Hawaiians' loss of power.
No definitive book as Hawaiian histories are still being translated from the original Hawaiian all the time. A few to get you started in the right direction..
Hawaii’s Story by Hawaii’s Queen Liliuokalani —
Hawaiian Antiquities by David Malo —
Ruling Chiefs by Samual Kamakau —
Aloha Betrayed by Noenoe Silva —
Reclaiming Kalakaua by Tiffany Lani Ing —
The World and All the Things Upon It by David Chang —
The Power of the Steel Tipped Pen by Noenoe Silva —
If you are on Oahu I highly suggest you visit Na Mea in ward village which is a locally owned Hawaiian bookstore. They usually have all these books in stock and are very helpful in guiding you too more information.
This! Please OP get your Hawaiian history from Hawaiian historians. Also recommend Aloha Betrayed by Noenoe Silva and Dismembering Lāhui by Jon Osorio. Everything written by Mary Kawena Pukui. Fornander Collection of Hawaiian Antiquities and Folklore.
Politics taints how you view history. The request was for historical viewpoints not political. Politicians and activists try to always root their movements in history in order to sway people more. But that is how history becomes revised to mean something different or distorts past events into something bigger or different.
History is inherently political. The sources used, the language written in, the perspective of the writer are all choices that can have political influence. OP asks for a native perspective and the best way to get a sense of native perspectives is to use native sources.
The only one that could be concerned political is Aloha Betrayed but I believe is a worthy consideration when looking for Hawaiian history perspectives.
I was. They have a specific political viewpoint they are trying to support. That creates an inherent bias. I didn't see Osorio listed unless OP removed it. Osorio is more of a critical race theory approach.
No. John Osorio does not take a "critical race theory approach." Like, at all.
By the way, Ralph Kuykendall and Gavan Daws ALSO had a political bias, because ALL history has a bias. This is an uncontroversial thing among actual historians.
And Noenoe Silva stumbled on a treasure trove of unopened boxes in the National Archives in DC that changed the narrative about Native Hawaiian resistance to annexation. She found what she found, and it said what it said. Not quite sure what the issue is.
Objective means balanced. People who have agendas that retell history may tell a good compelling emotional story but they are cherry picking and interpreting to fit their goals.
>This is an uncontroversial thing among actual historians.
Yes but political science people writing about history do not take safeguards to ensure against bias. They are trying to swing the telling of history to better fit their present beliefs.
>No. John Osorio does not take a "critical race theory approach." Like, at all.
What specifically are you talking about? His interpretation of history often employs the same tools as critical race theory, often dubbed Tribal Critical Race Theory. He definitely goes out of his way to avoid using the nomenclature and retells it in the Hawaiian style.
Her book was well reviewed, and went through a blind peer review process by historians, because she was publishing a history. He sources were all checked and checked again, her arguments were vetted as to her interpretation of the sources she discovered and used to create her narrative. Not all of those reviewers might agree with her regarding sovereignty and from reading her book, she doesn't tell you: is she a restorationist, does she advocate nation within a nation, etc.? Doesn't say.
Kuykendall wrote in the decades after the overthrow and before statehood, and was very clear how he felt about it all. Is that objective history? Daws was a New Deal liberal, Fuchs was more of a socialist. I think the main criticism of that generation of historians is that they did not read Hawaiian, which cut them off from like 75% of the primary source material. Learn Hawaiian and start consulting those sources and our picture of the past changes, a lot.
Osorio is a postcolonial historian, if anything. He's more of an old school political historian who's not afraid to use haole and other Hawaiian words... because he speaks Hawaiian, and used Hawaiian language sources to construct his history because before that they were pretty much ignored.
I liked three books by Edward Joesting who was a past president of the Hawaiian Historical Society: Hawaii, An Uncommon History; The Islands of Hawaii; and An Introduction to Hawaii.
Not exactly history but the Nana I Ke Kumu is a book about Hawaiian cultural practices, concepts and beliefs from a native Hawaiian historian named Mary Kawena Pukui. Very good read about the culture.
Edit: also not a novel
It was written in the 1950s so it contains outdated theories about the Polynesians and the origins of the Hawaiian that’s have since been basically disproven. To be fair the more “modern” part of the book are probably a lot more factual.
I would support this as a person whose relatives knew Michener and whose families were present in the state from close to the turn of the last century. As for "racism," it's interesting to note that Michener, who was married to a Japanese woman, was not able to buy a house in Waialae Kahala at the time due to his marriage.
It would appear to be so. If you’re interested in further exposition of Hawaiian history, Paradise of the Pacific, Approaching Hawaii was, to me, an utterly fascinating account, drawn mainly from ships logs, missionary journals and accounts of Hawaiians who lived under the kings.
Less "definitive" and more classics:
* *Myths and Legends of Hawaii* by King David Kalakaua
* *Hawaii's Story by Hawaii's Queen* Queen Liliʻuokalani, for 1800's ish
* *Fornander's Ancient History of the Hawaiian People* by Abraham Fornander
* *Hawaiian Mythology* by Martha Beckwith.
If you browse this [site](https://www.nativebookshawaii.org/collections/history-of-hawai%CA%BBi-ii) you'll find something. There's also some anthologies of contemporaneous sources available there, though in my experience reading some of the early kanaka accounts just goes to show what a vastly different culture it was back then more than it helps me understand the history.
There's generally I'd say no single "definitive" history of Hawaii, most have a slant of some kind, and you know at this point you're talking over 200 years of history since contact. Which is kind of a lot. So you're more likely to find good history that just covers a portion of it.
edit: not novels, would have to say that there are not really any super good historical novels in Hawaii imho. But the mythology and legends books are stories, and quite entertaining, so maybe that's halfway what you're looking for.
I've been occasionally reading "The Hawaiian Planter".
It's around 700 pages and goes very in-depth about planting and farming practices of pre-contact and pre-modernization Hawaiian civilization.
It's big. It's hard to find. Original copies go for hundreds on Amazon. I borrowed it from a friend and took pictures of every page on my google drive. O_o
It's very specific to that one part of ancient Hawaii, not a broad overview of history. But it's also quite fascinating.
Yeah, I read a few pages first, then realized I had to return it the next day, and realized I had a way to save it, and made it happen. It took a couple hours. Some of the pages are barely readable because of blurring, but it's still a fascinating read.
A Shark Going Inland is My Chief by Kirch is fantastic and pretty approachable for being such a well documented book. It’s not a novel.
If you really want a novel, AO Bushnell’s work The Waters of Kane and The Stone of Kanon are really great. More about the immigrant experience though.
could not agree more. This is the perspective that leads to the sort of fracturing of he said she said accounts in which everybody points the finger at each other saying "no! You're wrong!"
I recommend the 3 volumes written by Ralph S. Kuykendall (Kuykendall Hall at UHM is named after him).
Extensively researched and footnoted using ship's logs, early newspapers, etc
this is interesting because descriptions derive from eyewitnesses. Some of the accounts of early ship's logs as well as missionary texts are absolutely harrowing.
Who else are you going to for that kind of detail? I don't doubt that Kuykendall comes with the bias of his time, but reading him for the first time, for me, was like a revelation.
It is unfortunate to see terms like "baggage” and ”outdated” used to dismiss the works of some of the best researched books by a notable historian who spent 40 years working on them. He also was well aware of biases and is noted for his objective approach.
His work is quite extensive I just would rather read works that center Hawaiian sources. I don’t mean to dismiss his body of work outright but I think it’s important to realize his place as an outsider to the culture he writes about. He writes without using the extensive library of source material written in Hawaiian at the time I don’t think you can call his work conclusive. Yes he can be used as a source but I would not use him as a source for native perspectives.
The Hawaiian Kingdom, by Ralph S. Kuykendall
* The Hawaiian Kingdom—Volume 1: Foundation and Transformation 1778 -1854
* The Hawaiian Kingdom: Volume 2: Twenty Critical Years, 1854-1874
* Volume 3: The Kalakaua Dynasty, 1874 - 1893
One of my favorites, also perhaps the least political of any accounts. And it will lead you to a few other good reads such as Malo's book. Vowell is a very enjoyable writer!
Ooh! I remember there was a series of kids/young adult books about various royalty written from their perspective. There was one on Princess Kaiulani that touched upon the overthrow. I enjoyed it as a teen, and it was cool to see Hawaii represented along with showcasing the dark side of Hawaii's history for the rest of the world. It could be a good starting point for OP, as long as they take it for what it is: historical *fiction*.
Edit: It was called The Royal Diaries and this one was [Kaiulani: The People's Princess](https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/247980.Kaiulani)
David Malo
Mary Kawena Pukui.
Abraham Fornander.
Paradise of the Pacific, Approaching Hawaii.
Myths and Legends of Hawaii, by David Kalakaua.
Sugar Water by Carol Wilcox
novels are works of fiction
a history non fiction book of Hawaii
[Saga of the Sandwich Islands](https://www.amazon.com/Saga-Sandwich-Islands-Vol/dp/B0000EEJLL)
There is only 1 volume, mainly about the history on Oahu. At the end of the book it lists the history of all the areas of Oahu like (kaneohe, Nuuanu, etc...)
Why the hell are you looking for a novel? You should be looking for an actual non-fiction history book if you're trying to learn history.
And academic history isn't bifurcated into "native perspective" and "colonizer perspective", unlike what Twitter would like you to believe. Hawaii is a lot more integrated than what you're used to on the mainland, where races really do oppose one another.
And academic history isn't bifurcated into "native perspective" and "colonizer perspective", unlike what Twitter would like you to believe
You've said what I was a little scared to say in an earlier post for fear of backlash. Not sure OP is looking for a novel, though. Definitive is the term that was used.
13 downvotes for you? Michener's books reflect a pattern of telling difficult truths about native peoples (and also white imperialists). His books are lauded for their accuracy. In *Centennial,* about western expansion in the 1800s, he describes a tribe in Colorado allowing a woman to starve to death after her husband dies. The indigenous practice of letting the elderly die on the ice might have been necessary by the Inuit, with their exceedingly harsh environment, but was hardly justified in Colorado. The tribe essentially sentenced the woman to death by dismantling her teepee, stealing the wood poles and buffalos skins. And then shunning her.
I haven't read Michener's Hawaii, maybe Michener discussed the human sacrifices on [Mo’okini Luakini Heiau](https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/hawaii/mookini-heiau-hi/) on Hawaii Island. Excerpt:
>While we may never know for sure how the Mo’okini Luakini Heiau came to be, we can agree that the human sacrifice that took place there left a dark stain on our otherwise vibrant history.
Or maybe Michener brought up the topic of *cannibalism* by native Hawaiians (for religious purposes), reference to which is amply found in early works on Hawaiian culture, but is mostly absent in more recent histories. (Other sources are much more empathic about the history of cannibalism in Fiji and the Marquesas.)
Amazing how hard most tribal peoples, including native Hawaiians and the hundreds of native American tribes on the mainland, work to whitewash their dark elements of their histories. Historical revisionism.
>work to whitewash their dark elements of their histories. Historical revisionism.
Please don't act superior by trying to point out one group. *All* cultures do this. It's human nature to put a favorable bias into retelling history.
Most of the recommendations in this thread have a modern bias and then some like Michener have an outsider bias. Neither is really historical but let's not try to defend fiction as historical, especially if you haven't even read the fucking book. Your entire comment is hypothetical just so you can say:
>Amazing how hard most tribal peoples, including native Hawaiians and the hundreds of native American tribes on the mainland, work to whitewash their dark elements of their histories.
>especially if you haven't even read the fucking book.
Normally this would be a good criticism, but I have read 95% of of Michener 40-plus other books, as well numerous discussions on the accuracy of his work. Michener is highly regarded. (Hawaii is next on my list.) Dismissals of Michener's Hawaii should provide specifics, not just extensive DVs to someone who recommends his book.
> Please don't act superior by trying to point out one group. It's human nature to put a favorable bias into retelling history.
I dissent. The evils of the white man's history have been extensively detailed. We are mostly open about our sordid history; our defense is primarily 1) people should look at the context of the time and 2) some of the atrocities have been exaggerated.
Not so with many tribal cultures, which often still justify their historical patterns of life and receive much support from liberal academia via cultural relativism. Conservation anthropologist [Robert Edgerton has a written solid challenge](https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/45501.Robert_B_Edgerton) to cultural relativism. The white man much more lives in the modern world, without using cultural narratives to the past.
To go though a work of fiction that is over 1000 pages to point out biases and errors is not a task I would take on. I've read it. It's a good book but there are obvious biases and creative licenses used. It's also mostly one sided in it's portrayal.
>I dissent. The evils of the white man's history have been extensively detailed. We are mostly open about our sordid history
Yet there are many things that are still not taught or removed from text books. You seem to be guilty of the exact thing you're saying doesn't exist in your declaration of "white people more honest."
Some fair points. I'm not saying we're more honest; rather it is that some tribal peoples' purposeful link to the past, trying to retain some of the old ways, makes them reluctant to acknowledge problematic elements.
If I recall the criticisms of Hawaiian culture correctly, problems included, aside from human sacrifice, 1) abuse of commoners by the chiefs and 2) generally poor treatment of women. The white man has moved on with such concepts as Rule of Law.
>If I recall the criticisms of Hawaiian culture correctly, problems included, aside from human sacrifice, 1) abuse of commoners by the chiefs and 2) generally poor treatment of women. The white man has moved on with such concepts as Rule of Law.
The problems from the kingdom are much more numerous and severe. They are documented and sometimes discussed. However just like your pronouncement that "white man better. White man moved on." So did the kingdom with many reforms. But you appear to remain a critic without educating yourself on it.
I’m local and here are some novels I enjoyed. The Descendants by Kaui Hart Hemmings. The Tattoo by Chris McKinney. Hawaii by Mark Panek. All I Asking For Is My Body by Milton Murayama. For nonfiction I found Hawaiian Antiquities by David Malo, and Shoal of Time by Gavan Daws to be informative.
I know Chris McKinney- he’s given up a lot to continue being a local Hawaii writer. Paraphrasing- he said , I can write for people who know Hawaii, or I can write for the rest and f the world.
Shoal Of Time is a great read
It is actually used as a textbook my mother took Hawaiian history 201 at MCC she had to buy the book.
Interesting. Hopefully this is just as a supplimental book because it does not present a very objective view of plantations/imperialism or the impact of Native Hawaiians' loss of power.
No definitive book as Hawaiian histories are still being translated from the original Hawaiian all the time. A few to get you started in the right direction.. Hawaii’s Story by Hawaii’s Queen Liliuokalani — Hawaiian Antiquities by David Malo — Ruling Chiefs by Samual Kamakau — Aloha Betrayed by Noenoe Silva — Reclaiming Kalakaua by Tiffany Lani Ing — The World and All the Things Upon It by David Chang — The Power of the Steel Tipped Pen by Noenoe Silva — If you are on Oahu I highly suggest you visit Na Mea in ward village which is a locally owned Hawaiian bookstore. They usually have all these books in stock and are very helpful in guiding you too more information.
This! Please OP get your Hawaiian history from Hawaiian historians. Also recommend Aloha Betrayed by Noenoe Silva and Dismembering Lāhui by Jon Osorio. Everything written by Mary Kawena Pukui. Fornander Collection of Hawaiian Antiquities and Folklore.
Several of those are more politically oriented with a specific view point than historical.
OP specifically asked for native view points. These are well known, well researched Hawaiian scholars and perspectives.
Politics taints how you view history. The request was for historical viewpoints not political. Politicians and activists try to always root their movements in history in order to sway people more. But that is how history becomes revised to mean something different or distorts past events into something bigger or different.
History is inherently political. The sources used, the language written in, the perspective of the writer are all choices that can have political influence. OP asks for a native perspective and the best way to get a sense of native perspectives is to use native sources.
who do u think writes history books smoki? you think they just magically appear by completely objective people without bias?
The only one that could be concerned political is Aloha Betrayed but I believe is a worthy consideration when looking for Hawaiian history perspectives.
If you have issues with Silva or Osorio’s interpretation of primary sources, be specific.
I was. They have a specific political viewpoint they are trying to support. That creates an inherent bias. I didn't see Osorio listed unless OP removed it. Osorio is more of a critical race theory approach.
No. John Osorio does not take a "critical race theory approach." Like, at all. By the way, Ralph Kuykendall and Gavan Daws ALSO had a political bias, because ALL history has a bias. This is an uncontroversial thing among actual historians. And Noenoe Silva stumbled on a treasure trove of unopened boxes in the National Archives in DC that changed the narrative about Native Hawaiian resistance to annexation. She found what she found, and it said what it said. Not quite sure what the issue is.
The issue is that guy believes there is such a thing as an objective view of history
Objective means balanced. People who have agendas that retell history may tell a good compelling emotional story but they are cherry picking and interpreting to fit their goals.
>This is an uncontroversial thing among actual historians. Yes but political science people writing about history do not take safeguards to ensure against bias. They are trying to swing the telling of history to better fit their present beliefs. >No. John Osorio does not take a "critical race theory approach." Like, at all. What specifically are you talking about? His interpretation of history often employs the same tools as critical race theory, often dubbed Tribal Critical Race Theory. He definitely goes out of his way to avoid using the nomenclature and retells it in the Hawaiian style.
Her book was well reviewed, and went through a blind peer review process by historians, because she was publishing a history. He sources were all checked and checked again, her arguments were vetted as to her interpretation of the sources she discovered and used to create her narrative. Not all of those reviewers might agree with her regarding sovereignty and from reading her book, she doesn't tell you: is she a restorationist, does she advocate nation within a nation, etc.? Doesn't say. Kuykendall wrote in the decades after the overthrow and before statehood, and was very clear how he felt about it all. Is that objective history? Daws was a New Deal liberal, Fuchs was more of a socialist. I think the main criticism of that generation of historians is that they did not read Hawaiian, which cut them off from like 75% of the primary source material. Learn Hawaiian and start consulting those sources and our picture of the past changes, a lot. Osorio is a postcolonial historian, if anything. He's more of an old school political historian who's not afraid to use haole and other Hawaiian words... because he speaks Hawaiian, and used Hawaiian language sources to construct his history because before that they were pretty much ignored.
lol
I liked three books by Edward Joesting who was a past president of the Hawaiian Historical Society: Hawaii, An Uncommon History; The Islands of Hawaii; and An Introduction to Hawaii.
These books are quite historically accurate and objectively written. Some people find them a hard read but it's a good recommendation.
I support this. He is a competent author who is not pressing an agenda
Not exactly history but the Nana I Ke Kumu is a book about Hawaiian cultural practices, concepts and beliefs from a native Hawaiian historian named Mary Kawena Pukui. Very good read about the culture. Edit: also not a novel
Not James Mitchner’s Hawaii (despite what many people who aren’t from Hawaii seem to think)
Another person on this thread suggested this book. I liked Mitchners The Source and was interested in reading Hawaii. Why don’t you recommend it?
It was written in the 1950s so it contains outdated theories about the Polynesians and the origins of the Hawaiian that’s have since been basically disproven. To be fair the more “modern” part of the book are probably a lot more factual.
Thanks for the reply!
It's a work of fiction and uses a lot of popular accounts that are questionable when compared to other primary sources.
Thanks for the reply!
It was a very good book and well researched. It's the Gone of the Wind of Hawaii.
I would support this as a person whose relatives knew Michener and whose families were present in the state from close to the turn of the last century. As for "racism," it's interesting to note that Michener, who was married to a Japanese woman, was not able to buy a house in Waialae Kahala at the time due to his marriage.
[удалено]
It would appear to be so. If you’re interested in further exposition of Hawaiian history, Paradise of the Pacific, Approaching Hawaii was, to me, an utterly fascinating account, drawn mainly from ships logs, missionary journals and accounts of Hawaiians who lived under the kings.
*Gone with the wind Also fiction.
Less "definitive" and more classics: * *Myths and Legends of Hawaii* by King David Kalakaua * *Hawaii's Story by Hawaii's Queen* Queen Liliʻuokalani, for 1800's ish * *Fornander's Ancient History of the Hawaiian People* by Abraham Fornander * *Hawaiian Mythology* by Martha Beckwith. If you browse this [site](https://www.nativebookshawaii.org/collections/history-of-hawai%CA%BBi-ii) you'll find something. There's also some anthologies of contemporaneous sources available there, though in my experience reading some of the early kanaka accounts just goes to show what a vastly different culture it was back then more than it helps me understand the history. There's generally I'd say no single "definitive" history of Hawaii, most have a slant of some kind, and you know at this point you're talking over 200 years of history since contact. Which is kind of a lot. So you're more likely to find good history that just covers a portion of it. edit: not novels, would have to say that there are not really any super good historical novels in Hawaii imho. But the mythology and legends books are stories, and quite entertaining, so maybe that's halfway what you're looking for.
Yes. Particularly "Myths and Legends of Hawaii," By King David Kalakaua. That guy could write.
I've been occasionally reading "The Hawaiian Planter". It's around 700 pages and goes very in-depth about planting and farming practices of pre-contact and pre-modernization Hawaiian civilization. It's big. It's hard to find. Original copies go for hundreds on Amazon. I borrowed it from a friend and took pictures of every page on my google drive. O_o It's very specific to that one part of ancient Hawaii, not a broad overview of history. But it's also quite fascinating.
>I borrowed it from a friend and took pictures of every page on my google drive. Wow.
Yeah, I read a few pages first, then realized I had to return it the next day, and realized I had a way to save it, and made it happen. It took a couple hours. Some of the pages are barely readable because of blurring, but it's still a fascinating read.
A Shark Going Inland is My Chief by Kirch is fantastic and pretty approachable for being such a well documented book. It’s not a novel. If you really want a novel, AO Bushnell’s work The Waters of Kane and The Stone of Kanon are really great. More about the immigrant experience though.
Rascals in Paradise by A Grove Day is also good, though not specifically about Hawaii but more about the South Pacific in general
Novels are fiction. Please don’t look to novels for the history of Hawaii.
could not agree more. This is the perspective that leads to the sort of fracturing of he said she said accounts in which everybody points the finger at each other saying "no! You're wrong!"
I recommend the 3 volumes written by Ralph S. Kuykendall (Kuykendall Hall at UHM is named after him). Extensively researched and footnoted using ship's logs, early newspapers, etc
this is interesting because descriptions derive from eyewitnesses. Some of the accounts of early ship's logs as well as missionary texts are absolutely harrowing.
Came here for this. I've never seen anybody that even holds a candle to those three volumes.
Agree. He was a *research beast*.
Kuykendall is okay, great for his time, but even he brings a lot of baggage into his work as well.
Agreed. Considering the amount of Native Hawaiian writers and historians there are now I believe it’s time to view Kuykendall’s work as outdated.
Who else are you going to for that kind of detail? I don't doubt that Kuykendall comes with the bias of his time, but reading him for the first time, for me, was like a revelation.
It is unfortunate to see terms like "baggage” and ”outdated” used to dismiss the works of some of the best researched books by a notable historian who spent 40 years working on them. He also was well aware of biases and is noted for his objective approach.
His work is quite extensive I just would rather read works that center Hawaiian sources. I don’t mean to dismiss his body of work outright but I think it’s important to realize his place as an outsider to the culture he writes about. He writes without using the extensive library of source material written in Hawaiian at the time I don’t think you can call his work conclusive. Yes he can be used as a source but I would not use him as a source for native perspectives.
The Hawaiian Kingdom, by Ralph S. Kuykendall * The Hawaiian Kingdom—Volume 1: Foundation and Transformation 1778 -1854 * The Hawaiian Kingdom: Volume 2: Twenty Critical Years, 1854-1874 * Volume 3: The Kalakaua Dynasty, 1874 - 1893
No
This is the correct answer
Definitely not definitive, but a heckuva different perspective: Unfamiliar Fishes, by Sarah Vowell
One of my favorites, also perhaps the least political of any accounts. And it will lead you to a few other good reads such as Malo's book. Vowell is a very enjoyable writer!
Historical fiction is a good way to get people interested in a particular era.
Ooh! I remember there was a series of kids/young adult books about various royalty written from their perspective. There was one on Princess Kaiulani that touched upon the overthrow. I enjoyed it as a teen, and it was cool to see Hawaii represented along with showcasing the dark side of Hawaii's history for the rest of the world. It could be a good starting point for OP, as long as they take it for what it is: historical *fiction*. Edit: It was called The Royal Diaries and this one was [Kaiulani: The People's Princess](https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/247980.Kaiulani)
Exalted Sits the Chief: The Ancient History of Hawai'i Island by Ross Cordy if you're interest in specific history of Hawai'i Island.
David Malo Mary Kawena Pukui. Abraham Fornander. Paradise of the Pacific, Approaching Hawaii. Myths and Legends of Hawaii, by David Kalakaua. Sugar Water by Carol Wilcox
Kumulipo although it was spoken/chanted in the old days.
novels are works of fiction a history non fiction book of Hawaii [Saga of the Sandwich Islands](https://www.amazon.com/Saga-Sandwich-Islands-Vol/dp/B0000EEJLL) There is only 1 volume, mainly about the history on Oahu. At the end of the book it lists the history of all the areas of Oahu like (kaneohe, Nuuanu, etc...)
Why the hell are you looking for a novel? You should be looking for an actual non-fiction history book if you're trying to learn history. And academic history isn't bifurcated into "native perspective" and "colonizer perspective", unlike what Twitter would like you to believe. Hawaii is a lot more integrated than what you're used to on the mainland, where races really do oppose one another.
And academic history isn't bifurcated into "native perspective" and "colonizer perspective", unlike what Twitter would like you to believe You've said what I was a little scared to say in an earlier post for fear of backlash. Not sure OP is looking for a novel, though. Definitive is the term that was used.
James Michener's 'Hawaii'. It is serious reading or listening (over 51 hours lenght on Audible Books).
I gotta vote “no” on this one
13 downvotes for you? Michener's books reflect a pattern of telling difficult truths about native peoples (and also white imperialists). His books are lauded for their accuracy. In *Centennial,* about western expansion in the 1800s, he describes a tribe in Colorado allowing a woman to starve to death after her husband dies. The indigenous practice of letting the elderly die on the ice might have been necessary by the Inuit, with their exceedingly harsh environment, but was hardly justified in Colorado. The tribe essentially sentenced the woman to death by dismantling her teepee, stealing the wood poles and buffalos skins. And then shunning her. I haven't read Michener's Hawaii, maybe Michener discussed the human sacrifices on [Mo’okini Luakini Heiau](https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/hawaii/mookini-heiau-hi/) on Hawaii Island. Excerpt: >While we may never know for sure how the Mo’okini Luakini Heiau came to be, we can agree that the human sacrifice that took place there left a dark stain on our otherwise vibrant history. Or maybe Michener brought up the topic of *cannibalism* by native Hawaiians (for religious purposes), reference to which is amply found in early works on Hawaiian culture, but is mostly absent in more recent histories. (Other sources are much more empathic about the history of cannibalism in Fiji and the Marquesas.) Amazing how hard most tribal peoples, including native Hawaiians and the hundreds of native American tribes on the mainland, work to whitewash their dark elements of their histories. Historical revisionism.
>work to whitewash their dark elements of their histories. Historical revisionism. Please don't act superior by trying to point out one group. *All* cultures do this. It's human nature to put a favorable bias into retelling history. Most of the recommendations in this thread have a modern bias and then some like Michener have an outsider bias. Neither is really historical but let's not try to defend fiction as historical, especially if you haven't even read the fucking book. Your entire comment is hypothetical just so you can say: >Amazing how hard most tribal peoples, including native Hawaiians and the hundreds of native American tribes on the mainland, work to whitewash their dark elements of their histories.
>especially if you haven't even read the fucking book. Normally this would be a good criticism, but I have read 95% of of Michener 40-plus other books, as well numerous discussions on the accuracy of his work. Michener is highly regarded. (Hawaii is next on my list.) Dismissals of Michener's Hawaii should provide specifics, not just extensive DVs to someone who recommends his book. > Please don't act superior by trying to point out one group. It's human nature to put a favorable bias into retelling history. I dissent. The evils of the white man's history have been extensively detailed. We are mostly open about our sordid history; our defense is primarily 1) people should look at the context of the time and 2) some of the atrocities have been exaggerated. Not so with many tribal cultures, which often still justify their historical patterns of life and receive much support from liberal academia via cultural relativism. Conservation anthropologist [Robert Edgerton has a written solid challenge](https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/45501.Robert_B_Edgerton) to cultural relativism. The white man much more lives in the modern world, without using cultural narratives to the past.
To go though a work of fiction that is over 1000 pages to point out biases and errors is not a task I would take on. I've read it. It's a good book but there are obvious biases and creative licenses used. It's also mostly one sided in it's portrayal. >I dissent. The evils of the white man's history have been extensively detailed. We are mostly open about our sordid history Yet there are many things that are still not taught or removed from text books. You seem to be guilty of the exact thing you're saying doesn't exist in your declaration of "white people more honest."
Some fair points. I'm not saying we're more honest; rather it is that some tribal peoples' purposeful link to the past, trying to retain some of the old ways, makes them reluctant to acknowledge problematic elements. If I recall the criticisms of Hawaiian culture correctly, problems included, aside from human sacrifice, 1) abuse of commoners by the chiefs and 2) generally poor treatment of women. The white man has moved on with such concepts as Rule of Law.
>If I recall the criticisms of Hawaiian culture correctly, problems included, aside from human sacrifice, 1) abuse of commoners by the chiefs and 2) generally poor treatment of women. The white man has moved on with such concepts as Rule of Law. The problems from the kingdom are much more numerous and severe. They are documented and sometimes discussed. However just like your pronouncement that "white man better. White man moved on." So did the kingdom with many reforms. But you appear to remain a critic without educating yourself on it.
Any US History book should be good enough
Yesterday in Hawai'i A Voyage Through Time by Scott C. S. Stone is good
Kamehameha and his Warrior Kekuhaupi'o.
Captive Paradise: A History of Hawaii by James L. Haley was a good read.