3. 5 stars

Told from the perspective of a mother and daughter, Hula was a generational saga woven with deep Hawaiian history and lore. The first half of the book read more like non-fiction to me than fiction. I learned an immense amount about Hawaii and hula both culturally and geographically but, at times, it felt a bit slow and word heavy.

The second half of the book engaged me more as the author took a deeper dive into the lives of Laka and her daughter Hi'i. The mother daughter relationship was intriguing and I think this quote by Marge Kennedy sums up the book best, "“In truth a family is what you make it. It is made strong, not by number of heads counted at the dinner table, but by the rituals you help family members create, by the memories you share, by the commitment of time, caring, and love you show to one another, and by the hopes for the future you have as individuals and as a unit.”

Overall, I enjoyed learning so much more than I ever knew about Hawaii but I feel the book could have been a bit shorter. I always love walking away from a book, though, when I've gotten to learn something new from it.

Actual rating: 2.25 stars ⭐️⭐️ - I really wanted to like this more...

There were many things I liked about this book but sadly, not enough to overcome the things I didn't like. I probably wouldn't recommend this to anyone in particular. I was drawn to the book because of my visit in the past to Hawaii and having family and friends live there who told me about the struggles that Native Hawaiians have gone through since becoming apart of the US.

What I Liked: Hi'i, Laka and Hulali's story was what I enjoyed the most. Getting to know each character had me completely engaged. I found myself wanting to know more about who each of the characters were, what drove their actions, more of their thoughts and why they responded to many scenarios the way they did. Linking each of their history while showing how their mother/daughter relationships developed really tied it all together. Overall, their stories felt like it was missing a chunk of detail to really keep me into the book. I didn't feel any character development between them and hated how Hi'i essentially just had to deal with the pain and anguish she went through without ever addressing this with her mom and grandmother...

What I Didn't Like: A large part of the book focused heavily on the history or Hawaii and what happened between the US and Kingdom of Hawaii. This was so hard to keep up with and read and just felt completely dry. While I was frustrated with this part, I had to push through to get back to the main plot of the story. I also very much needed a dictionary for A LOT of the Hawaiian words. Some of them I could use context clues to figure out what was going on but many times I just read over it with no clue as to what it meant. This made the book feel longer than it is and also took me wayyyy longer to finish.

4+ poetic stars
“Her chant rippled through us, gaining steady momentum, a hurricane without a cloud in the sky, telling a story that was a spear straight to our hearts. Her hands brought her message to life.”

Hula is a powerful story, lyrically told, that tries to do too much. It is a Story about generations of mothers and broken relationships with daughters, a Story about Hawaiian culture and the role of Hula dance and traditions (told in amusing and ironic ways; “Hawaiian kings die faster than fruit flies.” ”When the waves brought the men with Bibles to save us from ourselves, these men pinned a scarlet letter on hula and called it immoral. Sinful…By the time Laka was born, hula had been kidnapped by the entertainment industry, dressed in a cellophane skirt and shackled by its adorned ankles to a well-lit stage decorated with plastic shells and overly bright flowers.”), a Story about Hawaiian history and changes forced upon people. All good things, 5-star writing, but the plot bogged down and went on to new tangents (like this paragraph.) I would have loved to see the plot lines arc somewhere, and then anticipate book two where we get to visit with these strong women and this beautiful culture again. (One time in Hawaii is not enough and this IS an IMPORTANT book with fabulous writing and fresh perspectives.)

The communal ‘We’ narrator is angry and the author creates vivid images. “Once upon a kingdom, visitors wobbled their way down steamship gangplanks, trickling into Hilo one at a time, barely making an indent in our soil. Now airplanes vomit them out. Their planes smother the songs we sing in the backyard, jet engines extinguishing the strum of our ukuleles. Their shiny rental cars, their bumbling tour buses, they stop in the middle of the road for every whale tail on the horizon, interrupting the flow like rocks dumped in a stream.” “To the interrupters, Hilo is a rented room. A wreckage of pina colada paper umbrellas, empty water bottles and sunscreen are left in their wake. We are forced to be the housekeepers of this land our home, to clean up the messes of others.”

Many Hawaiian words are used in Hula, some of which I could figure out from context, (keikei: children), some I looked up. More and more I brushed over them. A glossary of Hawaiian words in the book would be extremely helpful and not take away from the lovely flow of the poetic writing, pausing to look up yet another word.

I loved the history lessons and the descriptions of the dance the most. “Learning hula was studying a new language and a new way of moving, but it was also learning about the environment and the relationship of the elements, about how to treat the planet and how to appreciate the forces at work It was the study of mythology and anthropology, of ecology and botany, astronomy and zoology. It was memorizing chants and getting to know the plants in the backyard that would be used to die the fabric for the skirts. It was hand motions and facial movements, summoning fire from the belly and letting your heart beat through your feet. Hula was a way of seeing the world and accepting a role within it. “

Iolani Hakes has a gift for conveying meaning with few words. “There’s no running away on an island. Soon enough, you end up where you started.” “A square table was not made for three people.”

“Hula is written within the swirls of our feet. It’s our umbilical cord, our pulse. Our battle cry, our death rattle, our moment of conception. The chants are archived in the stars. Hula is the heat rising from within our volcanoes. It is the pull of the tides, the beat of the surf against our cliffs. It is our hair, our teeth, our bones. Our DNA.” Highly recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

You don't know what your don't know about Hawaii, until you read HULA by Jasmin Iolani Hakes. For everyone who has visited Hawaii, or is thinking about a visit, or moving to Hawaii, this is the book to familiarize yourself with the history. This title scratches below the surface to relate the economic and cultural ramifications, both personal and island wide, that began in 1887 with the Bayonet Constitution. Written by a white businessman, it effectively stole power from King Kalākaua, effecting the eviction of Native Hawaiians from their land and homes, and handing 1.8 million acres to US Caucasians. The overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy in 1893 and the the passage of the Hawaiian Homeland Law of 1921, further relegated Hawaii to a colony status. The story is rich with Hawaiian myth and folklore, cuisine and nature, and most importantly, a language which includes the hula as an instrument to teach and remember the history, religion, and tradition of the islands’ Native people. The focus is on the women three generations of the Naupka dynasty--a grandmother, mother, and granddaughter. Each one has a difficult relationship with their mother, inevitably caused by differences of opinion about political activity, the importance of one's roots, and the commitment to the Hula. As a historical fiction, I recommend this title over HAWAII by Michener. It does not read like a history lesson, but incorporates the cultural heritage into a contemporary timeline, with very relatable characters. 5 stars.
Thank you to HarperVia and Netgalley for the digital arc.

This book was narrative poetry. It's the kind of book that was not written for me, but was written for me to read. I learned so much about the rich history and culture of Hawaii. The story explored themes of family, femininity, home, and justice. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone, especially those who desire to go to Hawaii but lack knowledge about the implications of such travel. Thank you to NetGalley and Jasmin Iolani Hakes for the ARC.

Great book that followed three generations of women in Hawaii. Loved the exploration of belonging and identity. Thanks for the review copy. I’m sure others will love it, too.

An expansive history that covers Hawai’i sovereignty, land rights, and cultural practices (obvious focus on hula). There are some parts I got lost but overall a great novel. Appreciate that the author is explicit about her background on their website as ties to Hawai’i but without native Hawaiian background herself

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

WOW. This book was incredible. A sweeping narrative about motherhood, community, belonging, it has it all. What I loved most about Hakes' writing is how she included moments narrated by "us" - not us, the reader, but the us of Hawai'i, the community that our characters find themselves at odds with and simultaneously welcomed by. Parts of it even read almost as narrative nonfiction - though fictional, many events, and the grievances, are very real. I'm going to be thinking about this for a long time.

This is a multigenerational family saga, in which three generations of women tell their story about life on the Big Island. It's also very much about Hawai'i's history and heritage, the US colonization of Hawai'i, and more recent Sovereignty movement, all seen through the eyes of the family's women. Hakes's writiing is warm and lush, and her evocative descriptions will make you feel like you're right there on the island.

This book was an open love letter to Hawai'i and the Kingdom that the US tried to erase from history. It was beautiful and a deep look into what makes a family, a community, and a home.

5⭐ and it made me 😭
No spice!

"Hula is written within the swirls of our feet... You can steal a kingdom, but the kingdom will never belong to you."

How do I even start to describe the complex beautiful emotions I felt while reading this book? Written to focus on a mother and daughter relationship, Jasmin also encapsulates the relationship these two women have with their community of Hilo, Hawaii and that is equally as interesting in thinking about Hawaii's history of being essentially forced to join the US.

Jasmin weaves together the complexities of Hawaiian politics, mythology, society, blood quantum and family life to create this beautiful story that I know will stay with me for a long time. I learned more from this book than any other book this year and while the pacing was sometimes slow and disconnected, I think that was truly based in my own ignorance or Hawaiian culture. This is by far one of the most thought provoking books I've read all year and I will definitely be looking out (and asking) for more books by native Hawaiians.

Also, why do I know more about Greek and Roman mythology but pretty much nothing about Hawaiian mythology?!

This was an eye-opening saga about generations of Hawaiian women that would be a wonderful book club selection. It was very immersive and thought-provoking, and felt like a compelling love letter to native Hawaii. I will be recommending this one throughout the summer!

I wanted to enjoy this book, but I only got around 10% in to it. I got so bored, I fell asleep every time I tried reading. I may try to pick it up another day, but it just wasn’t my cup of tea at the moment.

This was a slow start for me and I wasn't sure how far I'd get but I got used to the writing style which was more of a narrative and I was sucked into the story of three generations of women, part of an old Hawaiian dynasty, Hulali, daughter of Ula, Laka and Laka's daughter, Hi'i as the work through their mother-daughter issues and fight to maintain their land and traditions. I had the privilege of going to Hawaii and the imagery for Hilo was beautiful. I usually like more character development but in this Hilo was a character that was most developed. The only downside for me was the author took for granted I knew more Hawaiian beyond aloha, luau and poi. Still I would recommend without reservation.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Harper Via for providing me with a digital copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperVia for the eARC.

This book was just so good and so very relevant. The dual timeline format gets me every time and this was no exception. Beautifully written and one I will be recommending.

I really enjoyed this book! The characters were dynamic and had their own flaws and issues, but they did their best to be parents, sisters, friends, etc. I was fascinated by the Hawaiian culture, I dont think this is talked about enough as most of it was totally new to me. At times it felt very long, but other times I flew through it. Overall, I really enjoyed the setting and historical aspects the most.

I really loved this book. I have read very few books set in Hawaii, and in particular from this point of view. It gave me a better understanding of Hawaii and its people. I would definitely recommend this to other readers.

Hi'i comes from generations of native Hawaiians, although she's never felt fully accepted by her community. She turns to the art of hula as a way to connect with her roots and her family — after all, her mother was once Miss Aloha Hula, and Hi'i hopes to bear the same title someday. But when Hi'i learns more about her own background, she must grapple with what it means about her relationship to her homeland, her family's legacy, and the future of native Hawaiians.

I was completely swept up in Hawaiian history and culture through the unique narrative voice and beautiful prose in this book. You can feel Jasmin 'Iolani Hakes' love for Hawaii and hula in her writing. I struggled a little with the shifting timelines and the order in which information was given to the reader, but there's so much magic in this book that I was happy to sit back and let the story unfurl.

Thank you to HarperVia, Harper Audio, and Netgalley for the advanced copy of Hula by Jasmin Iolani Hakes. This book made me think a lot about the responsibility tourists have when visiting other peoples homes, especially places that have such sacred customs and traditions. I listened to the audiobook while reading the print and would recommend that to anyone who can get their hands on both. It helped my brain to see the Hawaiian words while hearing them spoken aloud.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperVia for the eBook in exchange for an honest review, which I willingly provide.

Back when I was an adventurous twenty-year-old, I lived in Oahu. My husband was in the military and deployed for three of those five years, so I spent most of my time rambling around the island. I loved every moment. In the first month of being on the island, I met my best friend who was also a military spouse, but who grew up in Oahu. Through my friendship with her, I was able to experience the island through the lens of a local. It was more than knowing where the secret swim spots were or what to order in the tiny restaurants that were take-out only, but to learn about the pain and hurt the Hawaiian people feel having their homes overrun by haoles. It completely changed my perspective and helped me not to take it personally on those rare occasions when I was told that as a mainlander I wasn't welcome.

"Hula" is a dual-timeline story following three generations of Hawaiian women as they struggle to preserve their heritage but also find their own identities. Hulali, the matron of the family, is an activist and a deep defender of Hawaiian traditions. She is at the forefront of the preservation and teaching of hula to the next generation. Her daughter, Laka, was crowned Miss Aloha but disgraced the family when she left home without a word and returned with a baby. Hi'i, Laka's daughter, only wants to find acceptance and bring her estranged family back together, but can't because of her questionable paternity.

This debut novel is not a happy story about hula in Hawaii. The first part of the story reads very angry as the first-person narrator, the Tribal We, lays out the history and abuses from the colonization of Hawaii. It is made very clear that the Hawaiian people never wanted to be part of the United States. Hawaiian history is full of horrific events that happened not so long ago, and the pain is still felt today.

The story about the Naupaka family is told in the third-person narrative and is a story of broken and dysfunctional families. The mother-daughter relationship is very complicated, made worse by the fact that Hulali is most likely a narcissist, Laka has low self-esteem that affects her decisions, and Hi'i is an outcast. She doesn't know who her father is, she didn't meet her grandmother until she was a teen, and was rejected as part of the family because she wasn't full Hawaiian.

Jasmin Iolani Hakes did an amazing job evoking emotion throughout this story. I don't think there is any way to read this book and not have an emotional response. "Hula" is a story about pain, brokenness, but also forgiveness and healing.