Jasmin 'Iolani Hakes (Hula) returns to her native Hawai'i and its multifaceted history in her captivating second novel, The Pōhaku. Tracing the titular ancient volcanic stone and the fortunes of the women charged with protecting it, Hakes draws a sharp, compelling portrait of Hawai'i and its people on the brink of cataclysmic change.
Hakes's unnamed narrator tells her story from beside a hospital bed where her estranged granddaughter lies in a coma. Terrified of losing her, the narrator rushes to share the account of their family's kuleana (sacred obligation) to the pōhaku, which she believes is tied to the fortunes of their beloved islands. Traveling back and forth in time from the age of European exploration to the California gold rush to the 1990s, Hakes's narrative explores the exploitation of Native people and resources, and the seductiveness of power and greed. But she also highlights the women who go to great lengths to protect their families and the pōhaku in the face of poverty, abuse, and rapidly shifting political alliances. Hakes casts a new, unflattering light on the story of Hawai'i's path to statehood, emphasizing the machinations of white men determined to possess the land and extract its treasures. The pōhaku's survival, despite such plotting and hardships, prompts readers to consider important questions about ownership, connection to the land, and the weight of communal responsibility.
Lushly described and powerfully told, The Pōhaku provides a critical new perspective on Hawai'i's history and an urgent call to care for the planet and one another. --Katie Noah Gibson, blogger at Cakes, Tea and Dreams