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book_concierge's review against another edition
3.0
3.5***
From the book jacket: The rich, unforgettable story of a young "picture bride" who journeys to Hawai'i in 1914 in search of a better life. Instead of the affluent young husband and chance at an education that she has been promised, she is quickly married off to a poor, embittered laborer who takes his frustrations out on his new wife. Renaming herself Jin, she makes her own way in this strange land, finding both opportunity and prejudice. With the help of three of her fellow picture brides, Jin prospers along with her adopted city, now growing from a small territorial capital into the great multicultural city it is today.
My reactions:
I loved Brennert’s Molokai’i and wanted to love this one as well. My husband actually read the book a few years ago and thought it was good, but I just had never gotten around to it. A long travel journey prompted me to bring it along and I was glad that I did.
Regret / Jin is a marvelous character. She starts out a shy, subservient girl and grows throughout the novel into a strong woman. Yes, she still fills the traditional role of wife and mother, but she refuses to be held down by societal expectations. She finds a way to succeed and thrive, while still upholding the traditional ways she finds so hard to discard.
I’ve visited Hawaii several times and could picture many of the settings depicted in the novel, despite the vast differences in today’s Honolulu from that of 1914. I was fascinated by the history lesson and the glimpse into life during that time period. I also really appreciated the author’s note at the end, where he comments on the “real-life” May Thompson and how W. Sommerset Maugham used her life experiences in one of his novels.
From the book jacket: The rich, unforgettable story of a young "picture bride" who journeys to Hawai'i in 1914 in search of a better life. Instead of the affluent young husband and chance at an education that she has been promised, she is quickly married off to a poor, embittered laborer who takes his frustrations out on his new wife. Renaming herself Jin, she makes her own way in this strange land, finding both opportunity and prejudice. With the help of three of her fellow picture brides, Jin prospers along with her adopted city, now growing from a small territorial capital into the great multicultural city it is today.
My reactions:
I loved Brennert’s Molokai’i and wanted to love this one as well. My husband actually read the book a few years ago and thought it was good, but I just had never gotten around to it. A long travel journey prompted me to bring it along and I was glad that I did.
Regret / Jin is a marvelous character. She starts out a shy, subservient girl and grows throughout the novel into a strong woman. Yes, she still fills the traditional role of wife and mother, but she refuses to be held down by societal expectations. She finds a way to succeed and thrive, while still upholding the traditional ways she finds so hard to discard.
I’ve visited Hawaii several times and could picture many of the settings depicted in the novel, despite the vast differences in today’s Honolulu from that of 1914. I was fascinated by the history lesson and the glimpse into life during that time period. I also really appreciated the author’s note at the end, where he comments on the “real-life” May Thompson and how W. Sommerset Maugham used her life experiences in one of his novels.
merlinandamy's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.0
barbarasg's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
d_hryniuk's review against another edition
5.0
“A road need not be paved in gold to find treasures at its end.”
⠀
I LOVED this story. It's so sincere and moving that it touched my heart deeply. The story is told by the Korean girl and I was fascinated by how truthfully the author - a man - managed to convey her feelings, fears, and desires. I felt as if I became her friend whom she trusted with all her biggest secrets.
⠀
I got to know a lot about Korean culture. The author spent a lot of time doing researches on this topic.
The Hawaiian culture and history are described in many details too. Some real events and real people are mentioned in the novel, and they are skillfully woven into the main storyline. It was also interesting to come across the mention of W.S. Maugham. Although the author fictionalized the story, there were facts about him I hadn't known before.
⠀
For me, this book is not about prejudices or asserting one's rights. It's a story about heartfelt friendship, true love, and strong family bonds that can withstand any life difficulties.
⠀
I LOVED this story. It's so sincere and moving that it touched my heart deeply. The story is told by the Korean girl and I was fascinated by how truthfully the author - a man - managed to convey her feelings, fears, and desires. I felt as if I became her friend whom she trusted with all her biggest secrets.
⠀
I got to know a lot about Korean culture. The author spent a lot of time doing researches on this topic.
The Hawaiian culture and history are described in many details too. Some real events and real people are mentioned in the novel, and they are skillfully woven into the main storyline. It was also interesting to come across the mention of W.S. Maugham. Although the author fictionalized the story, there were facts about him I hadn't known before.
⠀
For me, this book is not about prejudices or asserting one's rights. It's a story about heartfelt friendship, true love, and strong family bonds that can withstand any life difficulties.
thukpa's review against another edition
5.0
Loved Moloka'i, and this is a great follow up- and not just because of my upcoming Hawaiian vacation! Tells the story of Regret, a girl born just before the turn of the century (20th,) in Korea. She becomes a picture bride and comes to Honolulu and creates a life amid the racial upheavals of the early 1900's. A fascinating portriat that includes real life people and events.
beckfisk08's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
jwinchell's review against another edition
4.0
Wow. I learned so much about the history of immigration in Hawaii and traditional life for Korean women at the turn of the century. Like Moloka’i and now Moloka’i’s daughter, Honolulu is a sweeping epic of one woman’s life from childhood to her 60th year. She looks back and tells the story of her life from rural Korea under imperial Japanese rule where women are completely subservient to men, illiterate, and marriage is decided for them. Regret/Jai/Gem resisted all of this from the get go and found ways to educate herself and get to Hawaii as a picture bride. Through an abusive husband and piecing her life together, Gem has a toughness and surety about herself that is admirable and made reading her story a sport. Her suffering was so incredible but she reached out and crafted a family to help her survive and then thrive. One of the families she met included the real story of Joe Kahahawai’s murder and Sadie Thompson’s role in a W Somerset Maugham story. What this book really succeeds at is telling the stories of the immigrants who helped Hawaii thrive in the early 20th century. “Hawai’i is not truly the idyllic paradise of popular songs—islands of love and tranquility, where nothing bad ever happens. It was and is a place where people work and struggle, live and die, as they do the world over.” And like the author writes in his note, “immigrants have played and enormous role in the life and culture of Hawai’i.” If you’re interested in the history of Hawaii, put this book on your list.
julieb118's review against another edition
4.0
I devoured this book. It took me a few chapters to get into this and then I found it hard to put down. Very good character and relationship development, and I loved how actual historical events were woven into the story.
charlestonmes's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted to give this book five stars. I really did. Unfortunately, it never made it close to the caliber of my five star rated books.
What I didn't like:
-I found Gem's life events a little unbelievable. How could all of her life events fall on to one person??
-It was almost like the author got halfway through the book and instead of ending the story, decided that it would be a good idea to just keep going and going and going.
-What was with all the various characters being introduced only to fade away and then be introduced again chapters later?
-I didn't like that the story jumped around in time. It could be days, months, or years different between paragraphs and chapters.
What I liked:
- Getting to know what Hawaii would have been like back in the early 1900's.
- Learning about the Korean culture.
Overall, this book was "just ok" for me.
What I didn't like:
-I found Gem's life events a little unbelievable. How could all of her life events fall on to one person??
-It was almost like the author got halfway through the book and instead of ending the story, decided that it would be a good idea to just keep going and going and going.
-What was with all the various characters being introduced only to fade away and then be introduced again chapters later?
-I didn't like that the story jumped around in time. It could be days, months, or years different between paragraphs and chapters.
What I liked:
- Getting to know what Hawaii would have been like back in the early 1900's.
- Learning about the Korean culture.
Overall, this book was "just ok" for me.