Wednesday, June 23, 2010

My Review of Love Finds You in Lahaina, Hawaii

Here's the description of the book from Summerside Press' website: "In 1890, Lahaina is in the midst of unrest. Kaiulani, Crown Princess of the Kingdom of Hawaii, has recently become known throughout the world for her intelligence, beauty, and determination to restore her nation’s monarchy. When a Scottish missionary lands on the shores of Lahaina, he finds himself drawn into a revolt by those desirous of annexing the islands to the United States. Will he underestimate Kaiulani, the 'barbarian princess,' or can they work together to restore peace to this normally tranquil paradise?"

Note: For some reason, the descriptions I found of the book online are not the same as the description on the back cover of the book. The description above is kind of misleading and does not do the story justice. However, I don't really want to retype the whole synopsis from the back cover! =) But hopefully you can get your hands on a copy and read it for yourself!

My Rating: Summer

My Review:
This is such a powerful, moving book, that I'm sure my words here will not be able to express how much I loved it! The story is an amazing work of historical fiction, beautifully weaving together fact and imagination. And I was absolutely drawn in by the imagery! The author's writing style is delightful.

Both of the plot lines--the past (late 1800s) and the present (1973)--intrigued me and kept me reading to find out more. I feel like I have done a lot of traveling through this book, from Hawaii to England. And each place was described in such a way as to take me there, right where the characters were.

But it wasn't just the imagery that I loved--I also fell in love with the characters. I laughed at the antics of the young Princess Kaiulani and her friends, and I was moved to tears by the heartache she felt as an adult. My heart was also breaking for Sandi, the main character of the novel in 1973, whose husband was missing in action during the war in Viet Nam.

And at the end of it all, I was amazed by how both stories were resolved, and how magnificently interwoven both plot lines were. Through Kaiulani's faith in God and the love between her and her dear friend, Hannah, I was truly blessed. And the love stories (both of them) left me more than satisfied. What a wonderful book!

6 comments:

Renee (BlacknGoldGirlsBookSpot) said...

I CANNOT wait to read this now! What a great review! It sounds like it pulls at the heartstrings. I guess I might need some tissues for this? LOL!

XOXO~ Renee

Bluerose said...

I can't wait to read this one, either. It will give me the chance to visit Hawaii without leaving my house! :)

Michelle said...

Oh, I definitely need to read this one soon. I absolutely love Bodie Thoene's books, and I was thrilled when I found this one on the shelf at Barnes and Noble back in April .

If you've not read The Zion Covenant and Zion Chronicles series, also by Bodie Thoene, I HIGHLY recommend them. They are some of my absolute favorite books.

Amber Holcomb said...

Hi everyone! :D

RENEE: Yes, some tissues could be useful while reading certain parts of this book. ;) It truly does tug at the heartstrings, and I hope you get a chance to read it soon! I'm glad you enjoyed the review!

BLUEROSE: It definitely felt like I was visiting Hawaii. :) Hope you get a chance to "visit" soon, too!

MICHELLE: I highly recommend it! It's a fantastic book! And I know I'm not supposed to focus too much on the cover, but isn't this one gorgeous? (I'm a big fan of the color purple!) :) Also, thanks for the heads up about her other books!

~Amber

Kav said...

New author and new book for me, but you've certainly piqued my interest, Amber and I will definitely add it to my TBR pile. Thanks for sharing that great review.

Amber Holcomb said...

KAV: It's hard to say how each person will like a book, but I really don't think you can go wrong with this one! :D It will be a GREAT addition to your TBR stack in my opinion!

And you're welcome! Glad you enjoyed it! :)

~Amber