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.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher of HarperCollins, and the author Jasmin Iolani Hakes for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Iolani manages to weave in-between historical events and the personal and how they intersect with one another. Iolani's usage of historical events contextualizes the reader's understanding of Hawaii and the lives of the character. Iolani shows a thorough historical understanding to the reader. Besides the historical context, Iolani crafts a family saga between Laka, Hi'i, and later Hi'i's daughters. Iolani creates a pathos between Laka and Hi'i's relationship. In general, the mother and daughter relationships stand out as the strongest within the novel. If nothing else, the work is a testatement to the relationships between women, mother and daughters, and Hawaii. Even while Iolani's focus is on women and mothers and daughters, Iolani's characterization of men, fathers, and male partners is still worth mentioning. I enjoyed reading Iolani's usage of pidgin and the fact that the novel doesn't provide a glossary either. A glossary could be present in the final copy edition, but I sincerely hope that it doesn't. This is also the first Native/Indigenous Hawaiian novel that I've read. While there's non-fiction Native/Indigenous Hawaiian work that I'm familiar with, stories and fiction remain important. Fiction and books as a form have advantages over non-fiction and can introduce readers to perspectives they otherwise would be ignorant of. Iolani engages in the family saga form and elliptical storytelling and time period skip. While sometimes effective and necessary, I wondered if the form should have remained more focused at certain time periods than others and if spending more time in those time periods would have fleshed out the plot and characters more.

Beautifully written drew me right into Hawaii and the history of the family of hula dances.Emotionally moving involving I enjoyed this saga from beginning to end highly recommend.#netgalley #hula

“Hula” was a beautifully written story about the people of Hawaii and how dancing hula held generations of family together. This is not typically the type of book that I read, but I thoroughly enjoyed the family epic which spanned many years in Hawaii. From hula, to the food and culture of the Hawaiian people, I loved learning about it all.

I am and have been in love with Hawaii and its culture for as long as I can remember. It has only been recently however, that I learned the truth about colonization and how America "took over" Hawaii. This was not something we were taught in school, only the date it became a state- not the process. It was dehumanizing how the Americans came in where they were neither welcome nor wanted, and in the typical way, bullied their way to get what they wanted. Interwoven in this story is the incredible history of Hula, which is far more than just a pretty dance that tells a story, along with the tale of deep family bonds broken by that tradition. It was fascinating and I loved every page.

I was interested in reading this book because I love Hawaii and wanted to learn more about it. I thoroughly enjoyed it and was not disappointed. Thanks for letting me check it out!