Rating: 3 / 5
THIS IS PARADISE by Kristiana Kahakauwila is a short story collection set in Hawaii. The depiction goes behind the tourist paradise so often depicted and focuses in more on the lives of those who make Hawaii their home. In her stories, the author addresses the tensions that builds from some locals’ dependence on the tourism trade, the grief and loss suffered by broken families. A woman attempts to excel in a seemingly male dominated world of cockfighting. A young man returns to his home as his father is dying, contemplating whether to tell his conservative father that he is gay.
I had mixed feelings about this collection as a whole. Some of the stories did definitely stand out to me more than others, which isn’t surprising for a short story collection. I did really enjoy the diversity in the stories. There is a blend of people from different races, backgrounds and educations. Characters have different speech patterns based on their backgrounds, including a pidgin English which was heavy enough at times to make me stop and reread to interpret. As a whole the collection is a bit melancholy, though there are some touching moments as well.
Overall, I am glad that I picked these stories up, though I can’t say I was wowed by the entire collection.
Reading Challenges:
#ReadTheWorld21 – Pacific Islands
DG Reads 