Mauna Kea: A Novel of Hawai‘i

by Tom Peek

Winner of the 2024 Nautilus Gold Award for Small Press Fiction
Finalist for the 2024 Eric Hoffer Award Grand Prize
A boundary-bridging novel that will surprise, captivate, and move readers who thought they knew Hawaiʻi; an age-old story of healing a seared heart and finding home. Mauna A Novel of Hawai'i is a gripping tale of clashing passions—science and spirituality, vengeance and compassion, fear and courage—set atop Hawaiʻi’s 14,000-foot Mauna Kea, realm of revered goddesses and star-wise explorers. A young vagabond running from America’s turmoil is forced to confront his own grief and rage on an embattled holy mountain in the Pacific. There he encounters a mysterious domain of ancient mountain deities and the Native Hawaiians who revere them, including two wise elders who take him under their wings and a young woman with a world-weary heart akin to his own. Through his startling experiences with them—and a motley cadre of other islanders—he learns the power of aloha and discovers an untapped reservoir of faith and courage that rekindles his hope in himself and in the world we share. Includes an illustrated map and 12 original pen-and-ink drawings made especially for the novel by John D. Dawson.

Genres: Fiction

525 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 10, 2023

About the author

An award-winning novelist and acclaimed writing teacher, Tom Peek lived his early life on Minnesota’s Upper Mississippi River. After hitchhiking by boat through the South Seas, he settled on Hawaiʻi Island three decades ago. There he’s been, among other things, an astronomy and mountain guide on Mauna Kea, an eruption ranger and exhibit writer on Kilauea, and an insider participant in the efforts to protect both sacred volcanoes.

Winner of the 2024 Nautilus Gold Award for Small Press Fiction
Finalist for the 2024 Eric Hoffer Award Grand Prize
Winner of a 2013 IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award for Popular Fiction

"Tom Peek’s understanding of place, culture, and current issues is deep and respectful without being heavy-handed.” — Maile Meyer, founder of Honolulu’s Native Books/Nā Mea Hawai‘i

“Peek is a storyteller extraordinaire, cut from an older cloth seldom seen today.” — The Contemporary Pacific Journal

"Peek is an author who takes the time to listen and observe, honestly portraying islanders of all hues and voices.” — Nelson Ho, Sierra Club leader and longtime Mauna Kea activist

Reviews

[Yun Rou · Rating 5 out of 5]

I very much liked Tom Peek's last book, Daughters of Fire, but this one represents a literary leap forward. I know the kind of time and effort it takes to create such a tome, to flesh out subsidiary characters and fit together a jigsaw puzzle as intricate as this one whilst still keeping the story moving forward and the reader engaged. It's a feat of high literary skill and imagination.

In this regard I am reminded of a live version of jazz musician, Dave Brubeck’s TAKE FIVE that he played in a Greenwich Village bar back in the ‘60s, where he took a riff and kept it going right up until the moment that the audience begins to wonder what’s going on, where’s the melody line, and then suddenly plays just a lick of that song’s backbone, just a hint, before dropping back into that main theme. Just that lick is enough to drive the audience mad. Tom Peek has that kind of talent yet doesn't get word drunk, something that can happen to happen to writers when they work with a canvas as complex in space and time as the flanks of the magnificent volcano known as Mauna Kea.

The tale of Hawaii in modern times is a tale of imperialism and tragedy. More than just a tale of conquest it is a tale of greed and clashing cultures. Peek bridles at this kind of oppression but his feelings support rather than detract from the readability of this novel. His love for both the Hawaiians people and their land (‘aina) is as pervasive as it is palpable. I expect it to cement his place as a fine chronicler of the archipelago and culture he loves so much. A great read, well-written, compelling, Mauna Kea is a sword cut performed by a master, both fast and deep at the same time. I highly recommend it.

[kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Erik is a photographer who goes to Mauna Kea to capture everything surrounding this sacred area. He becomes friends with the locals and really learns about the Native Hawaiian culture. This mountain is so important to the locals as it is a place of worship, not just for them, but also where their ancestors worshipped as well.

Explorers want to build some of the biggest telescopes to see what is out there in space. It is such a high point and does not have light pollution that it is a great spot to have equipment there to find out about the outside world. Unfortunately, the Native Hawaiians and the explorers do not see eye to eye.

This book makes you understand just how sacred and special this mountain is. It talks about the deities there and every time something "weird" happens, I could not stop thinking that it's because it's a sacred place.

I really enjoyed reading this book as it taught me more about how sacred Mauna Kea is and just how respectful one should be here and in every sacred place. Adding a telescope to a sacred spot is being disrespectful and you wouldn't add a telescope to any other sacred space, so why on this mountain?

I loved Aunt Moana so much! I also loved the little "mystery" of who/what caused one of the telescopes to get a crack. I can really appreciate that this author, who is not a Native Hawaiian, took the time to learn from the locals and be able to tell the story through his eyes instead of through the eyes of a native.

[Country Mama · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book about Hawaii and big island, specifically Mauna Kea, the very high summit on the island. This is a sacred place to the Hawaiian natives and is talked about in this story as well as the story. I was pleased to also see the illustrations which add an element of greatness to the story so that the reader can see where things are on the summit and also get visuals of the characters and things happening in the book.
I have never been to Hawaii but my husband lived there for a time and the realism is very good for readers who have traveled there and also for those like myself, who have never been there.
The story begins in the past with Mauna Kea and also then goes to the somewhat present of Mauna Kea in 2018 with a man named Erik. Erik is a traveler without a home and gets a job on Mauna Kea as a helper who makes deliveries to the researchers who work on the summit. Lots of things happen and he is unsure what is happening. He meets alot of native Hawaiian's who help him while he is figuring things out and see where he belongs.
I highly recommend this one to all those who are a fan of hearing about Hawaii or just have an interest in the culture or location.

[Sudeshna Banerjee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank the author for providing me with an ARC copy of this book. I really love the cover photo of this book and the title really intrigued me into reading it.

Mаunа Keа A Nоvel оf Hаwаi'i is а cаptivаting story оf cоnflicting emоtiоns—science аnd spirituаlity, revenge аnd merсy, feаr аnd brаvery—set оn Hаwаi'i's 14,000-foot Mаunа Keа, thе sаcred lаnd оf аncient goddesses аnd stаr-gаzing аdventurers. A young wаnderer fleeing from Americа's chаos hаs to fаce his own sorrow аnd аnger оn а disрuted holy mountаin in thе Pаcific. Тhere he discovers а mysterious reаlm оf old mountаin gods аnd thе Nаtive Hаwаiiаns whо worshiр thеm, including two wise elders whо mentоr him аnd а young womаn with а world-weаry soul similаr to his own.

I really love the writing skills of the author. The tale has been written in a very captivating way and will keep you engaged throughout the book. The concept of the book is also very unique and I absolutely enjoyed it till the very end of the book. I will definitely recommend this book.

[Nancy Cook Lauer · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5. Telescopes on Mauna Kea, considered by scientists the clearest and best best U.S. location for telescopes exploring our vast world, have long been a point of contention for many of the Indigenous population, especially those who see the mountain as sacred. In this book, author Tom Peek, a former astronomy and mountain guide on Mauna Kea and a 30-year Big Island resident, portrays the view of some Native Hawaiians in a fictional tale of controversy surrounding the newest Big Eye telescope championed by astronomers, Big Business and the military. "The particulars of this story are by necessity fiction -- though not entirely untrue," Peek notes in his forward. Those not versed in the controversy, and also those who are, will be taken with the aloha spirit articulated by the many Hawaiian characters portrayed in this book. Malahini (newcomers) to Hawaii, can especially learn a lot about the Native culture, a loving embrace of primitive gods and omens and how they see the telescopes challenging that way of life.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

In his new novel, Mauna Kea: A Novel of Hawai’i, Tom Peek takes a number of narrative threads and weaves them beautifully into a big compelling story. Peek skillfully draws a wide cast of compelling characters who pull you deeper into the novel as you learn more about them. Peek also calls on his decades of experience living on the Big Island to paint a compelling picture of the serious historic, political, economic, and social issues that lie just under the surface of what most of us see as a peaceful tropical paradise. The novel also shows how those underlying societal problems extend beyond Hawai’i itself. The story comes to a satisfying conclusion that does not minimize or shy away from the problems it raises, but it ultimately left me with a sense that personal and societal healing may be possible if we learn to live together in accord with our hearts.

[Anta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed my reading. It allowed me to know a little more about Hawaii and the island, it also taught me a lot about culture and sacred places. What I liked the most are the different illustrations that allow you to see the different places. I recommend this book to everyone especially if you are the kind of person who likes to learn more about different cultures and Hawaii of course

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

[Steven Veeneman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Evident throughout that this is a 'message' book, which I forgive since the message is one I understand and believe in. Some of the themes have to do with indigenous peoples generally but others seem specifically to the unusual case of Hawaiian peoples, all tenderly portrayed.

I ended up liking the book even though I don't like being preached to, and I want to read his first novel, Daughters Of Fire. I consider several insights I got reading this one to be extremely valuable.

[McCain Library]

This title is available at McCain Library in the Smith Collection. Call number: PS3616 .E3254 2023

Follow the link to check availability and more information: https://agnesscott.on.worldcat.org/oc...

If you need help locating it or requesting it for pickup, just ask a librarian or visit the Circulation Desk!

[Scott Sandager · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read about Hawaiian culture!