Honolulu by Alan Brennert

"I have traveled far from the land of my birth, and even farther from who I was then. More than forty years and four thousand miles separate us: the girl of sixteen who took that first unwitting step forward, and the woman in her sixtieth year who now, in sight of the vast Pacific, presumes to memorialize this journey in mere words. It is a journey measured not in time or distance, but in the breadth of one's soul and the struggle of becoming.
                  -Jin, from the novel

I think I must be in my Hawaii phase of reading---3 books by Alan Brennert set primarily in the islands in the last 2 months. This is my favorite; I'll give it a 5.

The story is narrated by Regrettable, who changes her name to Jin or Gem during the course of the story. The quote above gives hints of both setting and theme. As a young lady in Korea, who because of cultural restraints cannot go to school or aspire to much beyond the walls of her home, she feels little hope for her future. But then, along with some friends, she becomes a "picture bride" to a man in Hawaii and emigrates with great expectations of a new and better life. I had heard of "mail-order brides" during the Westward Expansion of America but never "picture brides." This referred specifically to Asian women being recruited to marry lonely Korean men in Hawaii.

As Jin was learning American/Hawaiian culture, she was teaching me Korean culture of which I knew practically nothing. At times this was quite humorous, especially when she became friends with May Thompson, a tough-talking prostitute in Honolulu. Though I have little in common with Jin, it was easy to empathize with her. It is somewhat surprising how well Brennert tells a woman's story. He is quite adept in his development of other characters, too. His research is amazingly thorough as evidenced in the Author's Note. It was fascinating to read which characters were based on actual people.

After reading James Michener's Hawaii a few years ago, I knew a good bit of Hawaiian history but I learned more in this fiction piece. I knew Hawaii was quite a melting pot but I didn't realize how many nations were represented in the working population. I was surprised that there were historic events a little too reminiscent of current troubles: the Spanish flu in 1920---compare to COVID 19---and racial injustice---Black Lives Matter. The racial turmoil sadly affected someone close to Jin. The situation reminded me of the false arrest and horrid mistreatment of the "Groveland Boys" of Lake County, Florida. (See Devil in the Grove by Gilbert King)

Honolulu was a page-turner for me. I found it both educational and entertaining.