It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

It's Monday, What Are You Reading is a weekly blog meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey where you list the books you read last week and the ones you hope to read this week.

I missed last week, I was on vacation "up north" as Michiganders say. And I didn't eve read much!

Read Last Week:

Summer Rental by Mary Kay Andrews:  I started this book on vacation at my family's summer rental.  My room was a bug jar with the light on, so I couldn't fit much reading in at night! I enjoyed this book, it was a fun summer read.

Honolulu by Alan Bernnert:  This author has never let me down, I have found both his books to be beautiful and moving.  I recommend them to everyone.

Heart of Evil by Heather Graham:  Second in the Krewe of Hunters Series.  I enjoyed this second book much better than the first.  And I was in love with the ghost story!

Currently Reading:

The Kitchen House by Katheleen Grissom:  I have read favorable reviews of this book and so far so good!

The Red Garden by Alice Hoffman:  Alice Hoffman is always a favorite of mine, and this books seems no exception. So far I have cried, and laughed, because my one of my favorite historical figures, Johnny Appleseed is a character! And I am not even that far into the book yet, so I wonder what other surprises are in store.

Gave up on for the moment:

Paris to the Moon by Adam Gopnik:  This is not a bad book, I was just not in the mood.  I plan on revisiting Gopnik's Paris this fall or winter.

Honolulu- Review

Title:  Honolulu
Author:  Alan Brennert
Publisher:  St. Martin's Press

Goodreads Summary:

As a young Korean woman at the onset of 20th century, Regret knows that there is only one possible avenue to the education she seeks. She must become a mail-order bride. She travels to Hawaii to meet the man she has agreed to marry, but it becomes apparent all too quickly that he is not the genteel, prosperous young man she imagined he would be. Instead, she finds herself yoked to an impoverished plantation worker addicted to alcohol and gambling. Her painful situation forces her to fend for herself and form beneficial alliances with other "picture brides." This powerful historical novel draws you into the plight of a woman swimming in the uncertainty of a new culture.


My thoughts:


I loved this book- maybe not as much as Moloka'i, but I still am completely enamored by the worlds that Brennert creates.  What a brave woman Regret is- throughout the book, she is a force to be reckoned with, shedding like layers the ideals of her ancestors in order to live the life and be the woman she desires.  I can't imagine how frightening it would be to leave my country, language, family, and way of life behind to marry a man I had only met through a photo as a "picture bride"- what courage you must have, and what determination.  She had some serious guts, sparked initially by Regret's wish to learn and read.  I love that she chose a new name for herself, to reflect her new life- Jin, meaning Gem.  


I was surprised by the amount of racism and prejudice that existed in Hawaii at the time in this book - I never thought about, or really had anything bring this particular area and time frame (both Hawaii and Korea) into my thoughts.  The problems at the time between the Koreans and Japanese, or between the native Hawaiian people and those of the newcomers to the islands - both lands invaded by another.  I know that my husband's grandmother, a native Hawaiian, suffered at the hands of racism when she moved away from the islands in the 1960s to the southern United States, as did my mother-in-law and her siblings.  Apparently I guess I thought the times between the missionaries trying to change the Hawaiian people and the 60s was a time of equality and peace.  How naive and uninformed I feel.  


This book was beautiful in every way- I loved the descriptions of the characters lives, their courage, their love and loyalty for their friends and family, the part with May and W. Somerset Maugham.  Regret, such a sad and tragic name, made a wonderful life for herself, and made peace with her family at the end.  I almost wish this book wouldn't have ended!