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“In Korea in those days, newborn girls were not deemed important enough to be graced with formal names, but were instead given nicknames, which often reflected the parents’ feelings on the birth of a daughter: I knew a girl named Anger, and another called Pity. As for me, my parents named me Regret.”
Honolulu is 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. But paradise has its dark side, whether it’s the daily struggle for survival in Honolulu’s tenements, or a crime that will become the most infamous in the islands’ history...
With its passionate knowledge of people and places in Hawai'i far off the tourist track, Honolulu is most of all the spellbinding tale of four women in a new world, united by dreams, disappointment, sacrifices, and friendship.
Brennert's mostly successful follow-up to his book club phenomenon, Moloka'i, chronicles the lives of Asian immigrants in and around Hawaii's early 20th-century glamour days. As the tale begins, readers meet young Regret, whose name speaks volumes of her value in turn-of-the-20th-century Korea. Emboldened by her desire to be educated, Regret commits herself as a mail-order bride to a prosperous man in Hawaii, where girls are allowed to attend school. But when she arrives, she finds her new husband is a callous plantation worker with drinking and gambling problems. Soon, Regret (now known as Jin) and her fellow picture brides must discover their own ways to prosper in America and find that camaraderie and faith in themselves goes a long way. Brennert takes perhaps too much care in creating an encyclopedic portrait of Hawaii in the early 1900s, festooning the central narrative with trivia and cultural minutiae by the boatload. Luckily, Jin's story should be strong enough to pull readers through the clutter. (Mar.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.One When I was a young child growing up in Korea, it was said that the image of the fading moon at daybreak, reflected in a pond or stream or even a well, resembled the speckled shell of a dragon’s egg. A dragon embodied the yang, the masculine principle of life, and it was thought that if a couple expecting a child prayed to the dragon’s egg, their offspring would be male. Of course, every family in those days desired a son over a daughter. Only men could carry on the family line; women were merely vessels by which to provide society with an uninterrupted supply of men. So every day for months before I was born, my parents would rise before dawn, carrying offerings of fresh-steamed rice cakes to the stone well behind our home, as the sky brightened and snuff ed out the stars. And they would pray to the pale freckled face of the moon floating on the water’s surface, pray that the child growing inside my mother’s womb would be a boy.
In this they were to be disappointed. On the third day of the First Moon in the Year of the Rooster, their first and only daughter was born to them. In those waning days of the Yi Dynasty, newborn girls were not deemed important enough to be graced with formal names, but were instead given nicknames. Often these represented some personal characteristic: Cheerful, Pretty, Little One, Big One. Sometimes they presumed to be commandments: Chastity, or Virtue. A few—Golden Calf, Little Flower— verged on the poetic. But too many names reflected the parents’ feelings about the birth of a daughter. I knew a girl named Anger, and another called Pity. More than a few were known as Sorrow or Sadness. And everyone had heard the story of the father who named his firstborn daughter “One is Okay,” his next, “Perhaps After the Second,” the third, “Three Laughs,” and the last, “Four Shames.”
As for me, my parents named me “Regrettable”—eventually shortened to simply Regret.
Koreans seldom address one another by their given names; we believe a person’s name is a thing of intimacy and power, not to be used casually by anyone but a family member or close friend. When I was very young, Regret was merely a name to me, signifying nothing more than that. But as I grew older and learned it held another meaning, it became a stone weight in my heart. A call to supper became a reminder of my unfortunate presence at the dinner table. A stern rebuke by my father—“Regret, what are we to do with you?”—seemed to hint that my place in the family was impermanent. Too young to understand the real reasons, I wondered what was wrong with me to make me so unwanted. Was I too short? I wasn’t as tall as my friend Sunny, but not nearly so short as her sister Lotus. Was I too plain? I spent hours squinting into the mirror, judging my every feature, and found them wanting. My eyes were set too close together, my nose was too small, or maybe it was too big; my lips were thin, my ears flat. It was clear to see, I was plain and unlovely—no wonder my parents regretted my birth.
In truth, my father was merely old-fashioned and conservative, a strict adherent to Confucian ideals, one of which was the inherent pre ce dence of man over woman: “The wife must regard her husband as heavenly; what he does is a heavenly act and she can only follow him.” I was a girl, I would eventually marry and become part of someone else’s family; as such my existence was simply not of the same consequence as that of my three brothers, who would carry on the family line and provide for our parents when they became old.
But I knew none of this when I was young, and instead decided it was due to the shape of my nose or the color of my eyes; and for years to come I would fret over and find fault with the girl who looked back at me from the mirror.
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 fi rst 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.
Excerpted from Honolulu by Alan Brennert.
Copyright © 2009 by Alan Brennert.
Published in February 2010 by St. Martin's Press.
All rights reserved. This work is protected under copyright laws and reproduction is strictly prohibited. Permission to reproduce the material in any manner or medium must be secured from the Publisher.
TimmyTam
Posted March 29, 2010
As a lover of the Hawaiian Islands, I've been so happy to discover Alan Brennert's novels. I haven't run across much quality fiction about Hawaii and it's people, so I was excited when Mr. Brennert's first novel "Molokai" appeared at the book store. And I was doubly thrilled when "Honolulu" was published. Both books are excellent. I particularly appreciate the fact that the author has put alot of time into research in order to give an accurate portrayal of the lives of his Hawaiian characters. I've always been interested in the authentic Hawaii - it's history, the people who have populated the islands, and the cultures they have brought with them to make Hawaii what it is today. These two stories are each an absorbing read and an easy way for anyone to learn some Hawaiian history. "Molokai" tells the story of a little girl torn from her family and sent to live in the leper colony. My heart ached for this little girl. She has all the same dreams and yearnings as any other, but she's ostracized by a fearful and ignorant society. It's a story of courage and resilience and the right to live a full and happy life despite one's circumstances. You'll learn much about Kalaupapa through her story. "Honolulu" is set in the more recent past and tells the story of a young Korean teenager taking a chance at a new and more liberated life. She defies tradition, leaves her family and travels to Hawaii to marry a man she's never met. No matter how many setbacks, she never gives up. I think this second book is really more a story about Honolulu, using the life of the main character as the vehicle to tell the story. I would have liked it if some of the emotions of the character had been more richly explored, but it's a minor point. These are good reads, great for book clubs, and keepers in my home library. Now I just want Alan Brennert to write another!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Posted May 27, 2010
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My mother had lent me this book and I was slightly skeptic about reading it. She loves the Hawaiian islands so I thought she may be exaggerating how good the book was with her bias. And the simple title of "Honolulu" did not sound like it was going to be all too interesting. But she was spot-on! This novel swept me up into a another time and place, and I hardly wanted to put the book down. The history is well researched and the characters are likable, each with a distinct voice. The story is a lovely historical epic and you can't help but feel what Jin, the protagonist, feels and see her life through her eyes. I bought my mother Brennert's other novel, "Moloka'i", for Mother's Day and she loves that one too- and I'm anxious to read it as well. Hope to see more from this gifted author!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Earlier this year I read "Moloka'i" which blew me away. I assigned it to my book club, and it was one of the few books in our 12 years of existence that everyone loved. So with great excitement I pre-ordered "Honolulu" and just read it now as a holiday treat to myself. Yes, I know I shouldn't compare... but what a disappointment. Where it succeeded was in telling me of the history of Honolulu in the 19th century, especially the trials and tribulations that are inherent in a melting pot of cultures. (Now I want to research photos of early Honolulu.) But I never really cared for the protagonist, Jin. She was too perfect... a friend to all... a living saint... I never felt like I got into her skin and it left me detatched. I didn't grow to love or care for any of her fellow picture brides, or Hawaiian friends, many who were brought to the page from newspaper archives. I think that the author chose a few specific historical events to outline and then develop, mainly that of prositution in early 1900, the growth and strength of the pineapple industry, a particular landmark rape crime and trial, and the birth of Hawaiian shirts. By the end I was quite eager to move on to another book.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted June 11, 2009
This was a very touching book about the older days of living in Honolulu. The author did an excellent job of writing about events from touch times, romance, sad and happy endings. The book of Honolulu meant more to me as I had just visited Honolulu and reading it gave me more insight of the islands. This is my first book written by this author and I would highly recommend reading this book.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted May 12, 2009
Brennert weaves thoroughly researched history and its details with seemingly realistic but fictional characters to create a gripping, can't put it down novel.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I loved Honolulu by Alan Brennert! Honolulu is just one of those books that sucks you in - with its story, characters, great writing - and compels you to read just one more chapter, even though it's already 2am.
Honolulu tells the story of Regret , the only girl born to a traditional Korean family. Wishing to learn, Regret approaches her father, only to be beat down and berated. As a last resort, Regret secretly offers herself up as a picture bride (equivalent of a mail-order bride), only telling her parents once the match is complete. Disowned by her father, Regret travels to Hawaii to meet the rich, handsome husband promised by the matchmaker. Once in Hawaii, Regret finds herself as a wife to a plantation worker with drinking and gambling problems, and a foul temper. Nothing she does is ever good enough, and she endures much physical abuse before choosing to leave her husband, and run away to Honolulu. In control of her life for the first time, Regret (now taking the name Jin) finds her way with hard work and the renewed friendships with the other picture brides. Through numerous tests and trials, Jin realizes the strength she never knew she had, and becomes a great immigrant success story.
In addition to spanning Jin's entire lifetime, Honolulu is a very accurate depiction of life in 20th century Hawaii. In the prologue, Alan Brennert explains that various events described in the novel are historically accurate. I think Honolulu is a great way to learn about that part of Hawaii's history while enjoying the story. I only wish that we read more books like this in history classes.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I really enjoyed Honolulu! I live on Oahu so I like to read books related to Hawaii. I learned a lot of things that I didn't know about that time. It is a wonderful book!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.3.75 stars! What a hard one to review! I say "hard" simply because I loved Moloka'i so much I figure that I would be unfairly comparing the two (which I probably did). This story was a little slower to get into and I later discovered this to be the pace throughout the novel, however, the story was a good one about an area of history of which I knew very little--picture brides. It has been a while since I've read Moloka'i so my memory may not be too clear but I found I appreciated the writing in Moloka'i so much more--the writing in this one felt much more...simple? and Brennert employed one of the techniques I dislike in books: a statement made at the end of each section/chapter that foreshadows the coming event. I don't know why this technique annoys me but it does and honestly, maybe he did this in Moloka'i and it just didn't bother me then.
The main character was very likeable (albeit a little bit Mary Poppinsish for my taste) and I found that I really cared for the outcome of her story. I also appreciated the discoveries about Korean culture. I always enjoy a story about cultures.
Brennert obviously has a great love for Hawaii and for its history, warts and all. I really appreciate the diversity of his Hawaiin stories and eagerly wait for another.(
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 9, 2012
Thoroughly enjoyed this book!
Frances0607
Posted December 30, 2011
This story had me cheering, crying, sad ... all kinds of emotions. I highly recommend.
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Posted September 5, 2011
Is it ficyh hh,
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Ireadallsummer
Posted August 15, 2011
I was not particularly interested in the history of Hawaii but reading the story of a Korean girl's journey in and through her life on the islands was truly a joy. I love how Brennert weaves in real historical characters throughout the story. I was always "Googling" events and historical figures to verify and read more about them. Brennert is always "right on" with every event and every character. Loved it!
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Posted August 8, 2011
I'm 20 years old, and never have much time for reading but this book I would actually make time for! It is well written, fast paced, and the main character is so love-able you just have to know what will happen next! I would love to check out more books by this author because of how well written this book is.
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Posted August 2, 2011
It is very rare in life to find a story that can move you to be passionate. Even more so to inspired and honestly touched by words on a page. Yet, following this story I found myself seeing less ink on pages and more of a new and exciting world through the eyes of Regret. Regret exhbits an honest bravery rarely seen in book heroines, rarely seen in anyone really. She possesses a passion that outweighs all her fears and insecurities, and she follows it far from her traditional life in Korea to a new life and a new name. Starting over in Hawai'i as Jin she struggles to make something of her life even as all her hopes and dreams crumble around her. She suffers great tragedies and yet discovers immense joy in family and friends. Jin's "sisters" and all of the ecclectic people she encounters have thier own vivid tales which intertwine with Jin's touching account to create an expierence rather than just a book. This book follows Jin through many heartbreaking struggles which she endures, and shows a inspiring strength of heart and spirit. It paints a beautiful and complete picture of Hawai'i, showing many differnt sides that one cannot see of it just staring at a photograph. Most importantly this book, as well as Jin herself, lives up to the name of "Gem".
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.haolewrites
Posted July 16, 2011
One of the trickiest aspects of historical fiction can be the inclusion of actual historical figures. One of the potential pitfalls of this is that a story can become a bit like "Forrest Gump," the hero involved with so many historical figures that it becomes nothing more than a literary device that strains credibility. Brennert never stoops to that level. Yes, the author does integrate historical figures into the story: Queen Lili'uokalani, May Thompson (the inspiration for Somerset Maugham's Sadie Thompson), Chang Apana (the slight inspiration for Charlie Chan), Duke Kahanamoku and, perhaps most importantly, Joseph Kahahawai, whose moments in the story provide for some of the most emotional aspects. But inclusion of these people is no parlor trick, no "hook" in order to sell a book. Each character is believably integrated. We can easily see how Jin would have met each one considering the life she led. And that is very telling about the kind of author Brennert is. He never exploits his characters, never takes them beyond the life they actually lead. The people that come in and out of Jin's life are not placed there out of capriciousness. They are there because they would have been and they would have easily encountered Jin. It is completely believable in all respects. In the end, Honolulu appears to be a story about a strong, young, dynamic woman. And it is. But it is also the portrait of a time and place expertly drawn without the haze of rose-colored glasses. And perhaps most importantly, it is a story about life and family, the 'ohana we build out of necessity and love and the need for a family when our blood relatives are far away. And like any family, it has its ups and down. But it is a family I was glad to be a part of, if only for a brief while.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Ltkk022
Posted April 21, 2011
Honolulu was a great read! The writing can get a bit confusing but as long as you take the time to go back and search for the deeper meanings it will get easier to understsand. Don't pick this book up if you don't have at least a day or two to read it all the way through! While fiction, the historic value was a great element to add to the story because the truth of the picture brides being married into situaions they were honestly unprepared for. (As they were coming into America, the land of the free and great)These situations they would face such as abusive husbands, being disowned by their families, and restrictive living are very carefully illustrated in a way that really speaks to you. You'll be crying right along side the characters! Very deeeply developed, Brennert left no questions in my mind by the end of the novel. 5!
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Posted April 4, 2011
A fine and educational read about Oahu and Korea at the dawn of last century. Alan Brennert will make you think he is a female writer with insights and viewpoints about Hawai'i. If you liked "Moloka'i" you will like this book as well.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.The story begins in Korea as a young girl becomes a mail-order bride to a man who has immigrated to Hawaii. As events unfold, she becomes a witness to Hawaiian history as well as a participant and hard-working pioneer. An enjoyable read about how the culture of Hawaii has evolved. Don't miss Alan Brennert's other novel, Moloka'i, about the leper colony on the title island.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Let me start by saying this is a good read. It wasn't at all what I expected with the title being "Honolulu" but it is good none the less. It's the story of a Korean woman named Regret, who later changes her name to Jin. Born into a Confucian household that put boys and men as honored parts society and girls and women seen as only wives destined to be no more than maids or breeders for male children. Jin feels the full effect of her father's disappointment and feelings toward her by his naming her brothers things like "Joyful Day" and her "Regret". Jin has a hunger to know the fullness of her live vs. the limitations she was born into. She sneaks and learns to read on visits to the city to visit her sick aunt. She escapes to Honolulu on the premise of becoming a "Picture Bride" to a Korean plantation worker living there under the "Gentleman's Agreement" thinking this will be a new life of freedom and gender equality only to be disappointed by her abusive arranged husband. She eventually escapes him and though her Korean community would look down greatly on a divorce she braves this shame and chooses real freedom and is rewarded with a loving second husband. There are several other characters throughout the book of various races, genders and walks of life that help to drive home the theme of equality all in this "mixed plate" of Honolulu. For a historical fiction it is very informative I'd never heard of "Picture Brides" before reading this book. This book is kind of a cross between Joy Luck club &. not sure what else but I liked it.
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Posted October 3, 2010
This book is really good but I have one major problem with it. It harps on the Massie Case, which can be a little hard to read for a white person especially if you have an affiliation to the US military (its ridiculously embarrassing). I wasn't expecting the Massie Case to be included but it makes sense, when you read the author's reasoning and purpose at the end.
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Overview
From the bestselling author of the “dazzling historical saga” (The Washington Post), Moloka’i, comes the irresistible story of a young immigrant bride in a ramshackle town that becomes a great modern city
“In Korea in those days, newborn girls were not deemed important enough to be graced with formal names, but were instead given nicknames, which often reflected the parents’ feelings on the birth of a daughter: I knew a girl named Anger, and another called Pity. As for me, my parents named me Regret.”
Honolulu is the rich, unforgettable story of a young “picture bride” who journeys to Hawai'i in 1914 in search of a ...