Reading Jessica Machado’s memoir of her upbringing in Hawaii was a deeply enriching experience.
Her narrative weaves together moments of poignancy and heartbreak, offering a profound glimpse into the ways of life on the islands.
As a lover of Hawaiian culture and history, I found myself drawn into her story, intrigued and somewhat in awe of the unique challenges and joys of being a true local.
Through her honest writing, Jessica not only shares her personal journey but also beautifully encapsulates the spirit and resilience of the Hawaiian people.

Thankyou to author Jessica Machado, Little A publishing and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this lovely memoir .
Charlene 📚🌸🤗 @lastnownext

This was requested when I first found out about NetGalley and I had requested so many ARCs that I could not get to all of them before they were archived. I really wanted to get to this one, as it seemed interesting. If I can find this somewhere for a reasonable price, I will try to get it! I am giving this book three stars, as I don't want to give it a good or bad rating, since I did not get to it and we have to leave a star rating.

Local tells the true story of the author, who was born in Hawaii, and has NH lineage through her father and his line. She talks about growing up in Hawaii with her parents, including her white born in the southern region of the US mother. The author gives us a glimpse into her upbringing as well as local history facts. I am definitely going to read the resources the author gives us in the book to learn more about the historical aspects of the area.

I try to read at least one memoir a month. When picking the title for each month, I look for stories of people who have lived differently than I have. For this month, Local caught my eye as the author was born and raised in Hawai‘i. From her father’s side, she has ancestors who are indigenous to the land while her white mother moved to the island in her young adulthood. With this mixed identity, Machado struggles with feeling like she is a “local” to the islands. I learned a lot about the history of colonialism in Hawai‘i and its indigenous culture and spirituality from this book. I also enjoyed reading the personal stories Machado shares, even though they dealt with more serious topics. Local is a memoir unlike any other that I’ve read and is a must read for anyone interested in learning about Hawai‘i from a native’s perspective.

I won't like -- I requested this book because I love Hawaii, and the cover is beautiful. The descriptions of the history and scenery were stunning and, probably not as intended, my favorite part of this book. Machado described coming home to Hawaii as a "long exhale," and it's clear how much it means to her.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy to review. Local: A Memoir tells the story of a woman growing up seemingly in between two worlds. Born to the parents of a native Hawaiian and an American southerner, the author tells not only her story but the story of Hawaii. Between stories of how she grew up she shares the history of Hawaii and its people. An enjoyable but sometimes jumpy read, the authors journey from childhood through adulthood hits many moments many can relate to (though not necessary for the enjoyment).

I normally enjoy a story about not knowing your cultural identity and finding yourself but this one kinda fell flat for me. I think I had a higher expectation based off the blurb but what I read was a little different.

I loved the history and culture aspect of this memoir but I did find her life and choices a little annoying. Then again, we were all young once and have all made choices that we think were best at the time.

Overall, I still enjoyed this but I found it hard to empathise with her situation due to her actions.

Thank you Netgalley and Little A for the arc.

Local, A Memoir felt like a love letter from the author to her home state of Hawaii as well her diverse ancestry and her flawed but much loved family. Machado weaves in both Kanaka (Native Hawaiian) mythology and often overlooked elements of Hawaiian history to her coming of age story. The daughter of divorced parents, her mother a Southern white woman and her father, both Portuguese and Kanaka,she often feels like an outsider in both her own family and in her community.

I’m lucky to have spent a fair amount of time in Hawaii but this presented a whole new side of both the landscape and the people. Later this year, I’ll be in Oahu and will be viewing this magical place with a different perspective. I don’t want to be seen as a tourist, but more of a guest who is grateful to be welcomed into such a beautiful world.

Beautifully written, this book made me think and stirred up some emotions, all without feeling preachy. Although she no longer lives in Hawaii, she visits often. Regarding her trips back to the island, she stated, “Coming home is a long exhale”. Hawaii is still very much a part of her and I’m so grateful she shared that part in this book.

*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity.*

Jessica Machado dives deep into her life and her culture in the memoir LOCAL. Interspersed throughout her stories of being part of a blended family, general teenage angst, and eventually her 'wild' early twenties, Machado weaves the beautiful story of Hawai'i, its culture, and its colonization. The direct effect of said colonization, as the daughter of a Portuguese-Kanaka man and Haole woman, Machado struggles with her identity for the majority of the book-- only beginning the journey of calling herself a 'local' by the end of the book.

This book read as a love story from the author to her past self and her childhood home. Machado, sometimes less unsuccessfully, tries to link her experiences to Hawaiian culture and mythology. However, the author's respect and desire to honor Hawai'i is obvious in the beautiful and profound parts of the book dedicated to Hawaiian culture.

LOCAL is a good read for anyone who likes memoirs, or is interested in reading a first-hand perspective on growing up in modern-day Hawaii.

"My parents wanted me to fit in with those who appeared “refined,” who could traverse the Western world with ease, who had a familiar set of Christian morals. Meanwhile, what was free and right in front of us went unexplored."

An easily accessible memoir about Jessica Machado’s experience growing up in Hawai‘i with an indigenous father and a mother from the American South. Dealing with themes such as trying to fit in, strained family relationships, grief and self-image whilst weaving in beautifully depicted Hawaiian tales, this makes for a good memoir.

This was a short memoir I had very high hopes for. While it didn’t really live up to my expectations (mostly my fault) I still enjoyed it. Machado’s stories were all very interesting, as well as the relationships shown. The Hawaiian stories that were sprinkled throughout the book were a nice element, and I found myself wishing for more of them. Overall, it was a good memoir, but not anything out of the ordinary.

Thank you, NetGalley and Little A for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very interesting book it took story of her life Jessica. Her father was brought Portuguese And HAWA IIA Her mother was From the So UTH Then it was raised in Louisiana. Mother had a lot of problems And her father was always working. Jessica talked about Is her Hawaiian culture And also let American temporary life as well. She had a lot of problems as well. She was really good what she could be doing but she long for stuff. She put her parents through a lot. Her mother and father divorced Her Her mother Renee married to a military M e n. He was very strict and very controlling and he did not like anybody to spend any money She had a lot of complex with this going on with her life. She left Hawaii To begin a new life in In LA. And a lot of problems there is well. She was just a drift and had a drinking problem as well. She wanted to be a writer that was really hard so she had to Waitress. Your problems with men as well. I can see growing up in that type of environment Is very hard. You really don't know where you Fit in with people. I learned a lot about the history of Hawaiian through this book. Her father married a woman named Sam. She would go there when she had a lot of problems with her mother and Sam became a really good friend to her. And she felt she could relate to her. This book is like a love story part of history book I And people trying to figure themselves out.

The author's knowledge of Hawaii's history & traditions is beautifully written. At the beginning the history portion and the author's story feels disconnected although half way through the book I felt like the story and history showed more connections and flowed more.

The memoir reads like a story!

I adored this book! Jessica writes from her heart in a pure and authentic voice. I related to a lot of her stories as we grew up in the same time. I enjoyed how she wrote about being and living in Hawaii and her relationships with family. She dives deep with her parents and her friends and partners. I thought her writing was excellent.

Thanks to NetGalley for the copy of this book for the purpose of this review. 5 stars from me!

This memoir details what it’s like growing up in Hawaii and has the author’s personal history interwoven with Hawaiian history.

Themes:
Divorce/broken family
Trying to fit in
Honoring where you come from
Strained family relationships
Racial tension
Alcoholism
Moving away from home
Self image
Rape/consent
Importance of therapy!

The Hawaiian imagery is fantastic. Powerful beauty! I liked learning more about the history of Hawaii and the folklore.

I feel like the authors parallels to her own life sometimes worked and sometimes fell flat.

Local by Jessica Machado tells her personal coming of age story as the daughter of a Southern woman and Hawaiian father who is indigenous to the land she is being raised on. As she grows old enough to understand the impact of colonization and white supremacy Jessica begins to make sense of the false narratives being taught in her Americanized schooling experience and begins her own racial identity development journey. This leads her to unmask some dynamics in the marriage of her parents and results in her rebelling against the expectations had of her as a young woman. She is processing her anger, rage, confusion and grief as she navigates friendships, romantic encounters, her parents divorce, her mother's illness and eventually her mother's death.

This memoir was a page turner for me and one that I know many young people, particularly biracial young people, will see their own experiences reflected in. There are so many powerful themes in this book around the experience of reconnecting to our ancestors, honoring our ancestral lineage, healing generational wounds, and healing from racial trauma. Eventually, Jessica leaves Hawaii and moves to LA where she ends up burying her mother and learning to forgive her father for his mistakes. This is a story about belonging and where and how we find where we belong.

Thank you to the author and publisher for the e-arc copy!