If you enjoy this one, you will also enjoy Hula by Jasmin Iolani Hakes. They both address family and what home means for Hawaiians. There are time jumps told in a somewhat nonlinear fashion that give you a fleshed out picture of the book's characters and motivations.

It has believable people, a convincing plot, and a believable finale, all set in the 1930s on the huge island of Hawaii. The wording is vivid without being overly flowery. The reader can almost taste the fresh fish being unloaded from the boats, and smell the juicy mango trees and blazing cane fields. Here, the ocean is aqua, the sky is blue, and the leis are intricately hand-made. Close to the lava flow, the temperature is intense, yet the caverns on the island's interior are ice cold. There is some time jumping at the beginning of the narrative, so pay attention so that you can figure out who is speaking and when.

In 1935, as the volcano Mauna Loa erupts on the Big Island of Hawai’i and threatens to destroy nearby towns, a community welcomes back a prodigal son from the mainland and reckons with the damage of long-kept secrets.

This was a really interesting view into how the communities have existed beside the volcano for so long. It also told a fascinating story of the immigrant community created by the importation of indentured labor from Asia, the efforts at unionization on sugar plantations, and the way families are built and fragment.

1935, Mauna Loa begins to erupt again as Daniel Abe is returning to his home in Hilo, Hawaii.  Daniel has been away since he attended medical school and began working in Chicago.  Daniel returns to the home that his mother, Mariko lived and died in.  He seeks out his Uncle Koji who has worked the sugar cane plantations his whole life for information about his father who disappeared when he was a young boy.  Unexpectedly, Daniel's high school girlfriend also returns to Hilo for reasons of her own.  Amidst the erupting volcano Daniel finds his place among his hometown once again and reconciles with the past that he left behind.

The Color of Air is a beautifully written, powerful story of family, Hawaiian history and the beauty of nature.  Daniel's story in 1935 is interwoven with the stories of Mariko and Koji twenty years prior.  These perspectives rounded out the view and helped to fill in some missing pieces.  Daniel was an interesting character.  His family were immigrants to Hawaii from Japan brought to the island to work the cane fields.  I was intrigued by this part of the island's history and the blending of the cultures that created strong bonds between the people there.  Daniel was also among the first Asian American doctors to study in the United States at the time.  The weight of this fact weighed heavily on Daniel.  In addition to Daniel discovering and coming to terms with his past, the writing highlights the transformative power of the Hawaiian Islands and the resilience of the people inhabiting them. 

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

As a fan of historical fiction, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. This family saga is set in beautiful Hawaii and had such richly written characters. The sensory details that the author wrote into the narrative were superb.
Although I usually go for more plot-driven novels, the characters were engrossing and I learned so much about the times and places featured that I never knew before.
This is my first book by Tsukiyama, and I am thrilled to see that she's written so many other books that I can read now too.

Beautiful written story of the life of early settlers in Hawaii working the sugar cane fields and how connected they were to the land, water and air and to each other.

I requested The Color of Air on a whim--and I do not regret. Following a group of Japanese immigrants, this story evokes true events of the past with stunning ease and tell an unforgettable tale of love and loss, of the complicated nature of family and the bittersweet hope that wounds will be healed. I didn't expect to love The Color Of Air, but I did.

And I hope you do, too.

What a fascinating book! The author did such a superb job of interspersing history with meaningful social relationships. Beginning with the 1935 volcanic eruption of Mauna Loa, the story focuses on the return of Daniel Abe, a local boy who left the island and made his tight-knit community proud. He decides to return to Hawaii following an unpleasant incident deriving from medical decisions he had made. There are so many topics touched upon right from the start---the promises made by those in charge and the expectations of immigrants who are enticed to come to a new world and then, are so disappointed.
The interrelationships among the characters are so deftly portrayed. The secrets that keep emerging in their lives keep the reader guessing. The prose is beautiful -- the introduction of "ghost" voices and "island" voices are memorable. You can't help but feel an affection for the characters and enjoy the resolution of all they encounter.

Its November, 21st 1935, an important evening for the tight-knit community of Hilo, Hawaii as locals gather at the Okawa Fish Market to welcome home Daniel Abe from Chicago. It is also the evening that the fire goddess Pele roars to life within the Mauna Loa volcano bringing her tremors, clouds of ash, and lava which promises to flow for weeks to come. Just like his birth, Daniel’s homecoming coincides with the eruption of Mauna Loa, stirring up past memories, relationships, and the secrets they hold. In The Color of Air, Gail Tsukiyama (bestselling author of Women of the Silk and The Samurai's Garden) interweaves Daniel’s return with the “island voices” and “ghost voices” of memories past piecing together the lives of Daniel and those important to him through character narratives spanning three generations deep. This historical fiction takes place within a rich, vibrant landscape that awakens and tantalizes the readers senses wherein Tsukiyama portrays the lives of Japanese Americans in Hawaii's sugar cane plantation and trades-driven landscape and what it means to be build a home through community and interconnectedness with others. Combined with the anticipation of the Mauna Loa eruption, The Color of Air blends the lesser-known history of Hawaiian plantation life, the power of relationships, and the natural landscape into a heartwarming, beautifully written novel about the ebb and flow of life.

The back and forth from current 1935 to early 1900"s reveals the relationships of six people of the sugar planation and the town of Hilo with the backdrop of Pele sending 'fire' from Mauna Loa. Gail Tsukiyama weaves a tale of close friends, family and relationship. There is Koji, the sugar cane cutter then train engineer. There is Mariko, who he loves, but she is married to his friend. Next there is Daniel, Mariko's son, who has just returned to the island from Chicago where he was a Dr. These people's lives are intertwined with other island people. Definitely read and enjoy and learn about the color of air.

Japanese immigrants of the 19th century and the communities and relationships they created are the focus of Tsukiyama's recent novel. Toggling between events that span the years 1895 to 1936, the novel explores the lives, loves, and losses of first and second generation immigrants in Hilo, Hawaii, whose work centers around the region's large sugar cane plantation.

Tsukiyama only produces novels sporadically, but can always be counted on for competent, unpretentious writing that immerses the reader in her characters. With straightforward narration and dialogue, the book feels fast-paced, even though there are no huge conflicts or traumatic events. Well, there is a volcano threatening the community, but it feels more like a backdrop than a real threat. The characters deal with domestic violence, single motherhood, abandonment, hidden guilt, loss and grief, but always stay centered in community ties and the positive relationships of extended family. Altogether, this is an immersive work of historical fiction that explores a fascinating community through splendidly created characters.

The characters are so well developed you will fall in love with each and every one of them! This family saga is beautifully written and takes place in Hawaii in the 1930s, And set against the backdrop of an erupting volcano and the sugar can workers village. Definitely recommend this!

One of the things I like most about Tsukiyama’s work is her strong, caring characters. She makes the past come to life through the stories of a small group of people. Here it is a community in the sugar cane region of Hilo, Hawaii in the 1930’s. Focusing on the Japanese immigrant community, she tells he tells the story of a family who came in 1895. Told with the background of erupting Moana Kea, it is the story of a community who rallies round one another to survive the power of the Volcano and Fire Goddess Pele.

Gail Tsukiyama is an author I’ve been wanting to read for awhile. I’ve had a copy of her most famous work, Women of the Silk, on my bookshelf for years, but unfortunately haven’t had the chance to read it yet. Well, that might change now after reading her newest work The Color of Air, which I enjoyed to the point that I want to go back and explore her backlist while waiting impatiently for her next work.

I love the way Tsukiyama writes — in a style that is quiet and gentle, yet the story still packs a punch. With this book, Tsukiyama takes her time with the narrative — slowly, chapter by chapter, we learn about the Japanese-American family at the center of the narrative, but more than that, we also learn the stories of those around them, all members of the close-knit community in the town of Hilo, Hawaii. Set against the historical context of the Mauna Loa volcano’s eruption in 1935, this event was woven beautifully into the story, with its juxtaposition against the return of the town’s beloved young doctor Daniel Abe and the secrets that slowly come to light, both within the family and in the community. A sense of anticipation permeates the story — both in terms of the aftermath of the eruption (the question of the lava flow’s direction and what will happen to those in its path) as well as the revelation of long-held secrets within the family and the community —and we are left to wonder, as the story progresses, what the path forward will be for all the characters. From a historical perspective, Tsukiyama also weaves into her narrative the lesser known history of Asian indentured servitude on Hawaii’s sugar plantations. Uncle Koji’s story of how his family arrived in Hawaii from Japan as contracted immigrant workers on the plantations -- a stint that was only supposed to last 3 years but turned into a lifetime. Related to this, there is also Razor’s story and what happened to him as one of the workers on the plantations, snippets of which are shared through Koji’s memories of his best friend, but also through Razor’s own “voice” at the end of some of the sections. The way that the past and present blended together so seamlessly, this worked well from a narrative structure perspective.

Speaking of the characters, this was one of those rare instances where I loved the entire cast of characters, whether major or minor. Each character was unforgettable and grew fonder to me with the progression of the story from one chapter to another and all the way through to the end. Daniel, Koji, Samuel, Wilson and Mano, all were great characters, but the ones that left the biggest impression on me were the women in the story – Mariko, Nori, Mama Natua, Maile, Leia, the Hilo Aunties. I was moved by the strong bond that they all shared – an unbreakable bond that continued to endure not only through all of life’s ups and downs, but also was strong enough to even transcend death. One of the unique aspects of Tsukiyama’s storytelling is her ability to portray all her characters with such tenderness and compassion. These are characters who endure a lot, plus there are the complicated family dynamics, the conflicts, the drama that inevitably follows, yet the underlying message of hope and resilience is so strong. At its core, this is also an immigrant story, but one that is lovingly told as well as rooted in hope from the getgo.

I enjoyed everything about this book, from the characters, the story, and of course, the incredibly atmospheric writing. The lush descriptions of the island’s landscape, as well as its history and people, gave such a tremendous sense of time and place – to the point that the setting came alive almost as though it were a character itself. Loved this one and definitely recommend it!

Received ARC from HarperCollins (HarperVia) via NetGalley.

The Color of Air, the story of a group of Japanese immigrants, set on the island of Hilo on Hawaii is a wonderful treat for the senses. You can feel the island breeze, smell the air redolent with fruit and smoke, and taste the delicious food. Set in the 30's with flashbacks to the 1900's, it's a story of loyalty, love, and loss. The characters are complicated and memorable. The story is both bittersweet and hopeful. This book will stay with me for a very long time.

I’ve been on a bit of a historical fiction kick lately. I’ve been going back to some old favorites. Many of my faves are from Asian writers and I had read a few books by Ms. Tsukiyama a number of years ago. I was so happy to see her new book on Netgalley. It came at just the right time for me.

This is a beautifully written book. Set on the big island of Hawaii during the 1930’s, a community is rocked by a recent lava eruption that threatens their homes and way of life. Despite that upheaval, what shines through is the beauty of living a slower way of life, one where attention is paid to older customs and beliefs.

Daniel Abe is a young man who had left home to pursue a medical career, but returns to his old home when life on the mainland brings him grief. It’s a story about family, found family, friends, culture, heritage and love. It is a book full of kindness despite the looming volcanic threat.

I really enjoyed this book and I hope that you will too.

It’s exciting to read a history of a time, place, and era unfamiliar to the reader which rewards with evocative emotion that feels current. It also rewards by examining the racist culture of that era and the challenges of oppression and limited opportunities. This is the story of people vanished in the tunnels of time, told in the voices of their ghosts. It is also a story of those affected by those past deeds in a ‘present time’ taking place 20 years later told by those variously rewarded and challenged by what had gone before. It is contemplative and places the reader in a time and place and skin of those who lived through those events. Moving like a meandering memoir more than a novel. Brilliant and thoughtful. Well worth reading and highly recommended.

An understated look at found family, and what it truly means to make a home. Full review posted on BookBrowse: https://www.bookbrowse.com/mag/reviews/index.cfm/ref/pr263744

(2.5 stars rounded up to 3).

The Color of Air is a slow paced familial drama that builds upon events that transpired decades earlier in the small, close knit town of Hilo Hawaii. Set primarily in 1935, it follows a cast of characters as they reminisce on their lives and life on their island town amidst the pending threat of an active volcano.

Tsukiyama writes these type of slow burn novels often, and well, if scenery, setting, and character development is more important to you than plot. While I liked this novel, it was just slow at times. And that were elements of it that disappointed me because they were simply ignored or never answered. Also, at times, I found that there were too many characters to follow and struggled separating them all.

This is the first novel I have read by Gail Tsukiyama. The descriptions of place and emotion are sumptuous.