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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
First Novel Dec 27, 2009
By Jim D. Willis
"Jim Willis"
The writer has astutely managed a complex plot which travels through both time and cultures with the respect that is lacking in the world's history of empire building. The book creates a new mythology based on what can be learned from the mistakes we have made. It is optimistic in the way of all myth-- moving humans through their tragic errors, falls from grace, and unforgivable crimes and restoring order and balance to the natural world. It is an especially good read for those haoles who have fallen in love with Hawaii and are trying not to love the place to death. The chapters are cinematic probably because Marina is also a painter (she designed the beautiful cover). Reading it is like radio days before television--a delightful hallucination.
Enjoyable and Informative Read Mar 07, 2009
By I. Fudell
Marina Kuran's novel is an entertaining read, first and foremost. Included are juicy characters, various seemingly disconnected plots, cultural and historical perspective, and information about our planetary environmental situation. While laughing at the warm and affectionate humor of the characters, you inadvertantly become informed about Hawaiian culture, global warming, the plight of dolphins, Eastern meditation and spiritual practice, addiction, recovery, the human condition, and a theory of Jewish history. And that's not all...Marina tackles tough topics through her writing and somehow manages to bring these various themes together in a satisfying and sweet ending.
I found myself thinking of the characters while not reading - a measure of their appeal and attractiveness. I found myself speculating about her historical perspective on cultures and religion, and just wondering what would happen next to bring the stories and themes together. The writing is pleasant and inviting, and the sheer scope of the book is admirable. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in Hawaii, Jewish history, characters who overcome addiciton and personal growth crises, and our current global warming challenges. Marina takes you on a journey of surprise, learning, wisdom and discovery in an artful and creative way.
Under the 'Ulu Tree, by Marina Kuran Jan 26, 2009
By Robert Cope
Mostly this is a thinking persons' romantic fable from cultural anthropological pre-history to the meaning of Gaza in 2009. The author carries the reader vividly from camp fires to fiery sex, from innocence to maturity, from the Persian Gulf via the Great Ocean to Hawaii and to the Pacific Northwest, then retreats to India, returning to Seattle.
The intellectual content, moves, disappears, overlaps, re-appears as the main characters, four-dimensional women - as the author explains (on another topic) - present themselves in short quick blasts, like camera flashes when photos are snapped in rapid succession. In a narrative technique disjointedly telling their stories from alternating points of view, chapter by chapter, I found the women, more than the men, probed deeply for life's meaning. The men, from handsome figures to ashrams, fulfilled romantic quests, and complete in bedded stories of marriage, children, separations, careers, homes and identity.
It is the women, living separate realities - ancient past, recent past, and present - I found refreshingly told as the characters' discover, re-discover, and re-interpret their own pasts in the wonder of anticipating their future.
As very nearly every sentence is not linear, the reader needs to pay attention. Sentences circle back or sideways, frequently taking opposite leaps: a father is a serial tree killer; a woman's dark, hot-blooded, Latin husband behaving more a cool, blond stereotype; intellect and common sense as no match for mutual attraction; or a default drawer is for assorted junk. . . and the occasional hopeful cockroach. I am reminded of the snappy prose of Mameve Medwed and Marina Lewycka.
This is no ordinary tale of the human condition or of people connected by memory, land, blood, or money. But more: a hearty history tempered by modern love for those savoring whence they came and smile at journey's end.
Reviewed by Robert Cope, PhD, Melbourne, Australia, January 26, 2009
Persuasive and entertaining Dec 07, 2008
By C. B. Smith
As a lover of historical fiction, I was really impressed with this book - one that teaches on many levels, but in a way that is often witty, biting and very entertaining. I especially enjoyed the way Ms. Kuran handled the book's central theme of entitlement thinking: oftentimes subtle, yet consistent and gently persuasive. Even as a resident I was ignorant about some of the struggles facing contemporary Hawaii. Although I found some of it disturbing, it was informative. One caveat: I caution the reader to be patient through the early pages of this book while the characters are being developed. It's necessary to the storyline, and worth the wait.
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