this is paradise by kristiana kahakauwila

The rest of us pretend we don't have chicken skin. So why do we look at her as we pass? Why do we notice her out of the hundreds of others? Do we already know she's marked, special in some way?Īt the high tide line Cora Jones and Kaila Ka'awa pull on rashguards to protect against the trade winds, which are wailing this morning. Her blue-and-white-striped hotel towel labels her for what she is. We don't have time for ruffles and ruching. Our bikinis are carefully cut pieces with cross-back straps and lean bottoms. Our 'ehu hair, pulled into ponytails, bounces against our necks. She wears a white bikini with red polka dots. She has light brown hair, a pointed nose, eyebrows neatly plucked into a firm line. They're all white to us unless they're black. So when we see her studying the warning, chewing the right side of her lip, we laugh. We are not afraid of the beaches and breaks here in Waikiki. We've gone out at Makaha and Makapu'u before. The same picture is on all of them: a stick figure, its arms aloft, its circle head drowning in a set of triangle waves. Midmorning the lifeguards fan across the beach and push signposts into the sand. 'synopsis' may belong to another edition of this title. With striking versatility, the title story employs a chorus of voices-the women of Waikiki-to tell the tale of a young tourist drawn to the darker side of the city’s nightlife. “The Old Paniolo Way” limns the difficult nature of legacy and inheritance when a patriarch tries to settle the affairs of his farm before his death.Įxquisitely written and bursting with sharply observed detail, Kahakauwila’s stories remind us of the powerful desire to belong, to put down roots, and to have a place to call home. In the gut-punch of “Wanle,” a beautiful and tough young woman wants nothing more than to follow in her father’s footsteps as a legendary cockfighter. Exploring the deep tensions between local and tourist, tradition and expectation, façade and authentic self, This Is Paradise provides an unforgettable portrait of life as it’s truly being lived on Maui, Oahu, Kaua'i and the Big Island.

In a stunning collection that announces the arrival of an incredible talent, Kristiana Kahakauwila travels the islands of Hawai'i, making the fabled place her own. Elegant, brutal, and profound- this magnificent debut captures the grit and glory of modern Hawai'i with breathtaking force and accuracy.

This is paradise by kristiana kahakauwila