This Is Paradise: Stories, Kahakauwila Kristiana

In a stunning collection that announces the arrival of an incredible talent, Kristiana Kahakauwila travels the islands of Hawaii, making the fabled place her own. Exploring the deep tensions between local and tourist, tradition and expectation, fa ade and authentic self, This Is Paradise provides an unforgettable portrait of life as its truly being lived on Maui, Oahu, Kauai and the Big Island.

In the gut-punch of Wanle, a beautiful and tough young woman wants nothing more than to follow in her fathers footsteps as a legendary cockfighter. With striking versatility, the title story employs a chorus of voices--the women of Waikiki--to tell the tale of a young tourist drawn to the darker side of the citys nightlife. The Old Paniolo Way limns the difficult nature of legacy and inheritance when a patriarch tries to settle the affairs of his farm before his death.