I didn’t want to finish this book about 1/3 of the way in, but I finished it for Bookclub. Sharks in the Time of Saviors by Kawai Strong Washburn is a look at the folklore of Hawaii. I loved learning about the different gods, their connection to the land, and the struggles of indigenous Hawaiians. A family of 5 lives on Honoka struggles to make ends meet even though both Mom and Dad (Augie and Malia) work. The three siblings (Dean, Kaui, and Nainoa) have the usual sibling rivalries. Nainoa (Noa) has healing powers which the parents take advantage of by collecting payment from those who come to be healed. Noa’s gift is also a curse for him though. The story was just long and drawn out. It had all sorts of intricacies on the 4 other family members' lives which were irrelevant to the ultimate storyline. The mother’s story is told in the second person which was weird. The book also has odd sex scenes. It was interesting and different. Let’s just say it’s one of those families which make you think yours may not be so odd. I’m just not smart enough to appreciate the literary aspect of the book.
If you are looking for an indigenous author to support in November, then This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger has a great historical fiction read for you. Krueger is a member of the Anishinaabe ( Ojibwe ) tribe. This dialogue between a bit so likable character Jack and the teen narrator Odie will give you a good idea of the story. “Ask me, God’s right here. In the dirt, the rain, the sky, the trees, the apples, the stars in the cottonwoods. In you and me, too. It’s all connected and it’s all God. Sure this is hard work, but it’s good work because it’s a part of what connects us to this land, Buck. This beautiful, tender land.” Jack in Chapter 20. Odie then replies with his theory about how “God is a tornado.” which refers back to when a tornado killed a loving teacher, Mrs. Frost. The book was originally published in 2019 and is great as an audiobook coming in at 14 hours and 19 minutes on regular speed versus 464 pages of hard copy. ...
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