A Song for the Stars

by Ilima Todd

Overview

Inspired by a true story

Hawaiian Islands, 1779

As the second daughter of a royal chief, Maile will be permitted to marry for love. Her fiancé is the best navigator in Hawaii, and he taught her everything he knows—how to feel the ocean, observe the winds, read the stars, and how to love.

But when sailors from a strange place called England arrive on her island, a misunderstanding ends in battle, and Maile is suddenly widowed before she is wed.

Finding herself in the middle of the battle and fearing for her life, Maile takes John Harbottle, the wounded man who killed her fiancé, prisoner, and though originally intending to let him dies, she reluctantly heals him. And in the process, she discovers the man she thought was her enemy might be her ally instead.

John has been Captain James Cook's translator for three voyages across the Pacific. He is kind and clearly fascinated with Maile's homeland and her people—and Maile herself. But guilt continues to drive a wedge between them: John's guilt over the death he caused, and Maile's guilt over the truth about what triggered the deadly battle—a secret she's kept hidden from everyone on the island.

When Maile is tasked with teaching John how to navigate using the stars so he can sail back to England, they must also navigate the challenges of being from very different cultures. In doing so, they might also find the peace that comes when two hearts become one.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781629737430
Publisher:	Deseret Book Company
Publication date:	04/02/2019
Series:	Proper Romance
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Ilima Todd was born and raised on the north shore of Oahu, Hawaii, and now lives in the Southwest with her husband and four children. She has a degree in physics and was an avid reader before turning to writing full time.
 

Editorial Reviews

12/10/2018

Todd’s first historical romance is a dear story of love’s ability to cross the figurative and literal ocean that all too easily separates people. Maile is the 18-year-old daughter of Oahu’s royal family, and when British naval captain James Cook lands on the island in the late 1700s, her life is greatly changed. Her first-person narrative—though forgivably modern in tone and disposition—reflects her tribe’s anger when a misunderstanding triggers a bloody battle and her scorn for traditional gender roles. After John Harbottle, Cook’s translator, kills Maile’s fiancé in battle, she lashes out, stabbing and wounding him. She is immediately conflicted as to whether to let Harbottle die or try to save him. The ensuing tension between them as she nurses him back to health is sweet if predictable. Passages from Harbottle’s diary supposedly represent the British point of view, but his voice lacks sufficient contrast. This soft-pedaled romance is suitable for readers of all ages. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

"While a romance at its heart, the narrative is embellished with rich cultural details and environmental elements. My favorite scenes were with Maile as she becomes immersed in the sights and sounds of the ocean. The budding relationship is developed with grace and gentleness. I loved Todd’s skillful illustration of the beautiful differences between Maile’s and John’s cultures. Inspired by her family history, Todd’s heartfelt connection to this story adds a special vibrancy to each page. Recommended for fans of daring female leads, sumptuous settings, and slow-burn romances."

Historical Novel Society

"Stellar historical 'proper romance'. Based on Todd's real-life Hawaiian ancestors...Delivers a sweet and entrancing story about the power of communication to bring together people from vastly different worlds."

starred review Booklist

2019-02-18

A fictionalized version of the romance between a Hawaiian princess and an English naval officer from Cook's last fateful voyage, one of the first hapa haole (half-white, half-Hawaiian) marriages on record.

Maile, daughter of a Hawaiian high chief, looks forward to her marriage to Ikaika, her father's prime navigator, but after a misunderstanding with Capt. James Cook instigates a skirmish which causes the captain's and Ikaika's deaths, Maile becomes the conflicted nurse of English officer John Harbottle. At first considered an enemy, John is able, with help from Maile, to convince her father to let him and his men help them against a threat from a neighboring island. Meanwhile, Maile is assigned to teach John their ancient navigation principles so the Englishmen can get back home since one of the things that caused the skirmish were missing navigation instruments, presumed stolen. John and Maile's time together leads to mutual respect and tender feelings, though John's expected departure shadows their growing love. Todd's (Resist, 2016, etc.) first adult novel is based on her fourth great-grandparents Harbottle and Papapaunauapu (Maile in the novel) and is a delightful amalgamation of fact and fiction as well as a beautifully rendered peek into Hawaiian society before any large Western influence. Through Maile's first-person narrative and John's occasional diary entries, Todd explains ancient Hawaiian customs, beliefs, and wisdom, including actual navigational methods, and creates a clever, multifaceted heroine. A trend in the romance world often has female characters rendered as anachronistically feminist, which isn't quite the case with Maile, though readers may wonder if a woman in a society as rigid as the one described here could have had the influence she does throughout the book. Still, the story is captivating.

Astute and luminous, like its heroine.

Kirkus Reviews