I received this book as an eARC from NetGalley and HarperVia.

Hula follows the Naupaka family throughout different decades as we watch Hulali, Laka and Hi’i parent, grow and hide the secrets that could change the Naupaka family line going forward. This was an emotional read that makes you think what it means to be part of a family and when there are secrets that can destroy that sense of belonging. My favorite part of this book is the Hawaiian history that we get. Until I had visited Hawaii, I wasn’t aware of the history of how it became a state and the history before it was discovered by white people. It is history that everyone should be learning because as this book points out, if the stories don’t get shared eventually nobody will be able to pass them on.

3.5 stars. Hula is a novel about much more than dancing. Hi'i is born into a family disagreement — a stalemate of sorts between her mother, Laka, and grandmother, Hulali. With her pale skin and red hair, Hi'i has a difficult time finding her place among her Hawaiian family. She begs her mother to carry on the family tradition of dancing hula, but this fails to bring her the acceptance she longs for. Uncovering a devastating family truth, Hi'i leaves Hawaii and starts her own family, but her heart is still battered and bruised. Is it too late to repair what's been broken?

Aside from the narrative that follows the Naupaka family, this book is jam-packed with historical details surrounding the history, culture, and political turmoil of the kingdom of Hawaii. It's a devastating plight when you soak it in. I do think that the book is rather long and in some parts, slow, but I really enjoyed the experience and it has permanently affected me. There is much to be learned here, and it has made me want to seek out other reads focusing on Hawaiian history!

Thank you to Jasmin Iolani Hakes, HarperVia, and NetGalley for my gifted digital advance copy.

Hawaii is the spot where I honeymooned so I naturally wanted to read HULA. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. I was intrigued by the cover and enjoyed Hakes descriptive voice as she unfolded the story. It reminded me of the many memoirs I have read about families over the years. My favorite part was seeing the language and traditions played out. Four stars.

What an amazing read! This book is so full of the Hawaiian language, it’s beautiful! That being said it is still completely comprehensive and does an amazing job of smoothly interjecting the meaning into each sentence. This book is not only full of culture, but also history and philosophy!

What a beautiful and moving book about the theft of a kingdom, a country, the land and its culture. Hula is also a gorgeous portrayal of the relationships between mother and daughter, of growing up with the expectations of your family and community and finding your own way. I appreciated the opportunity to learn about the steps being taken by Hawaiians to retain their unique culture as government, capitalism and greed attempts to take away everything. I also enjoyed the author's use of the community voice for narration, and the Hawaiian words found throughout the novel. Thank you to Netgalley and HarperVia for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Brilliant, captivating, immersive and illuminating, Hula is the novel we have all been waiting for about Hawai'i, whether we knew it or not. Members of my haole family spent many years living on the islands, so I knew a little about the history and culture. Most of what I thought I knew was way more fictional than this steeped-in-history novel about a matriarchal family based in Hilo.

Weaving her plot together with myths, stories, and recent history, the author gave me a comprehensive education but it never felt like homework because I cared so much about these women. I cannot recommended this book highly enough. Just jump in, the water's fine.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and HarperVia for my copy of Hula by Jasmin Iolani Hakes in exchange for an honest review. It publishes May 2, 2023.
Oh my goodness! I just loved this book. I devoured this book. It took over my life while I was reading it. I was researching so many things about Hawaii, looking up restaurants, watching videos, listening to music, and just immersing myself in all things Hawaii.
I found this story to be very interesting, I loved the narration, the writing style was just impeccable, and I wish all books were written like this book was. I loved how it was story, meets history, meets mythology, meets politics. I loved how this taught me so many things, and gave me even more respect for this incredible culture, and I highly highly recommend it to anyone interested in Hawaii or Hawaiian culture.

Hula is a sweeping story that follows 3 generations of the Naupaka family in the late 1900’s as they navigate complicated family dynamics as well as the fight for Hawaiian sovereignty. One of the most interesting aspects of this book, is that it is narrated by a collective “we” which I felt pulled me into the story and gave me the feeling that I was observing the characters right there with the group. It’s definitely slow paced but doesn’t feel like a slog. The author alternates her focus between the three Naupaka women, Hulali, Laka and Hi’i, and the timeline does bounce around a bit which did make it a tad disorienting. The uniting element, which is really a character in and of itself, is the hula. The traditional Hawaiian dance weaves its way through the entire story and I loved learning about the ancient dance and what it meant to the characters. This book was eye-opening and at times heart breaking, but yet inspiring. I read this in digital form but I would imagine that this would be great on audio. This novel was really everything I was hoping it would be; rich and atmospheric writing, strong character development and a historical perspective from which I learned so much. Thank you to the author, Net Galley, and HarperVia for the opportunity to advance read this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

In a society where culture can be stolen as easily as a piece of bread, we need more books like Hula! I think that the people of the islands in the Pacific have been overwrought by so much colonization that it’s become so difficult to get anything beautifully authentic, even for the natives. There is so much pressure on them to keep the rituals/ traditions alive, like what Hi'i experiences. Beyond that, we get insight into her family's past and the mysteries hidden away in order to survive the present. The colorism faced within their own people is something holding her back as well, and is something I'm familiar with in my own culture. The difficulty of trying to belong in a world that will always see you as second class. This story covers so many important themes, all while following the path of the Naupaka family; past, present, and hopeful future. We get to see how their generations remain connected with the help of hula. For anyone not into the interspersed native speech, you must not be truly interested to learn more about the culture this portrays. I think it's beautiful that, for once, the language isn't treated as out of place or inconvenient, but as regular as the English everyone is expected to know.

Hula is such an important story. Hakes weaves an inter generational tale of a grandmother, mother, and daughter along with the tale of Hawaii as a whole and how colonialism has endangered Hawaiian culture. I especially enjoyed that the voice of Hawaii was included. This book shows the pain and beauty of family relationships and trying to keep important cultural traditions and beliefs alive in a world where people try to actively push it out and commercialize it. I’ll be thinking about this one for a long time.

The history and culture of Hawaii was beautifully described and the honesty of colonialism and erasure was moving to read. I enjoyed reading segments of new language and dialect and uncovering a story that is no longer untold.

I will, unfortunately, be withholding my review until a fair contract agreement is reached with the HarperCollins Union.

This book doesn’t start with a bang and it took me a while to get into it. But about a quarter of the way through, the story really takes off and I couldn’t put to down. It’s a multi-generational family saga that is rich with Hawaiian culture, most of which I knew nothing about. Definitely a must-read!

Thanks so much to Netgalley and HarperVia for the ARC copy of #Hula by Jasmin Iolani Hakes. Unfortunately, this book wasn't for me though. I was so excited to read this to gain a better understanding of the traditions of the hula and the Hawaiian people since my mother grew up there as a little haole girl, but the way the novel was written was extremely hard for me to understand. As a non-native Hawaiian, the interspersed Hawaiian language tripped me up quite frequently. If there was a glossary of terms or notation(s) at the bottom of each page with the meaning of some of the phrases/words we encountered during the story, that would have helped tremendously not only with understanding the story better but teaching readers more about the Hawaiian language.

I really wanted to love this book, I tried so hard but I really was not for me. I felt the writing style too distracting. As if the author tried to stuff as much into the pages as possible where as if the author focused more on the plot line and character development the story would have been more prevalent. As a personal who loves historical fiction, this read more like a non fiction memoir.

This is an eye-opening novel. Beginning in the 1960's and moving to the 1990's then back to the time Hawai'i was a kingdom. It is a picture of a Hawaiian family struggling with their past and trying to find their place in the present. There is a collective voice, a Greek chorus if you will, relating the history of the island state interspersed with the modern family story. It depicts the haole takeover of the island and the attempt to erase Hawaiian culture, language and way of life over the course of history.

The matriarchal aspect of the Hawaiian culture is clearly depicted with hula as a metaphor. What makes one Hawaiian, who controls the way of life and what makes a family. All of these themes plus many others would make an excellent book discussion. Once you read this novel your perception of the island paradise will certainly be altered.

My only quibble is that a glossary of the Hawaiian words would have been helpful. The author's afterward with its references was impressive. This story will continue to resonate with me for a long time.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Via for the uncorrected e-proof and an early read opportunity.

I adored this book. A glimpse into Hawaiian life and still so relevant today in light of the recent protests. Writing across multiple timelines was wonderful. I loved getting a fuller understanding of the big picture by seeing what the women were thinking in their own time. It was powerful and thought provoking. Absolutely will be recommending it.

Hula is a story of family, culture, history, and tradition. You'll get the perspectives of different generations which add multiple dimensions to the story. Games did a wonderful Jon and I'm excited to see what else will come from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced digital copy.

AAHHH! This story was so wonderful! I loved learning more about Hawaiin history, culture and the role of Hula. I learned so much! I cannot wait for this book to be published so I can share it with everyone! It would be a fun book club selection.

Thank you for the digital ARC! All options expressed are completely my own.

I really enjoyed learning more about Hawaii, its history, and the role of hula in its culture. It was a well-written book, and I appreciated the insight into part of America I don't know much about.