The Islands

by Di Morrissey, Kate Hood (Narrator)

It's the psychedelic '70s and social conventions are being challenged. When Catherine Moreland from rural Australia goes on her first trip abroad, a handsome American naval officer sweeps her off her feet and she goes to live in beautiful, romantic Hawaii with her new husband.



At first, the magic and loveliness of the Islands lead Catherine to believe she is living in paradise. She befriends Kiann'e, a traditional dancer; Eleanor, the owner of the legendary Palm Grove Hotel; Lester, a reclusive old surfer; and royal Beatrice, leading the fight to maintain Hawaii's heritage and culture. However, as Catherine learns more about the islands, she begins to discover that paradise has a darker side. And when she meets a mystery man of the sea, as though hit by a tsunami her life is turned upside down and changed forever.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance, Audiobook

Audio CD

First published July 26, 2011

About the author

Di Morrissey (born 18 March 1943 in Wingham, New South Wales) is one of Australia's most popular female novelists. She grew up in the remote surrounds of Pittwater, north of Sydney, Australia.

Growing up she counted famous Australian actor Chips Rafferty as a close mentor and friend who helped provide for her and her mother after the death of her father as a child, sending them overseas to California to live with family.

In her later years, Di went on to become a journalist on London's Fleet Street, and worked for CBS in Honolulu, where she lived with her husband who was in the foreign service, and even had a small role in the series Hawaii Five-0, a guest role in season three, episode seven, 1970 starring as 'Alicia Anderson'.

After moving back to Australia, Di published her first book 'Heart of the Dreaming' which instantly became a bestseller. Since then Di has published another 17 bestsellers, her latest being 'The Silent Country'.

Reviews

[Sue Gerhardt Griffiths · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️s



Listened to the audiobook via BorrowBox
Published by Bolinda audio
Read by Kate Hood
Duration: 14 hrs, 58 min. 1.50x Speed

[Steve · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disdain. That's the overwhelming feeling I'm left with now that I've finished this book. Disdain from the author for the US and the US Navy comes through loud and clear in large swatches of this book. I found the chapters a bit too long, but the scene changes did help. The story felt stilted and predictable, and I guessed (correctly, it turns out) how the rest of the book was going to turn out roughly half way through it. The climax, if you can call it that was as predictable as the rest of the book was. The resolution was a little interesting due to the time gap, but then the disdain flooded back.

[Suz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nope. Zero memory of this one.

[Kathy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Having grown up in Hawaii and knowing the culture and islands well I thought this was going to be an excellent read - well for me it was just plain stupid. I'm not big on fiction but when I do read fiction I want a book that is written in a style that captures me and pulls me into the book. I think I could have done a better job of writing the book - the author's level of writing was fairly basic and as such I had difficulty staying with the story line. Nah, would not recommend !!

[The Cats’ Mother · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was great - about a young Australian woman who meets an American naval officer in the 70s and settles with him in Hawaii, then starts getting involved with local people and surfers. I didn't know much about Hawaii but now I want to go there!

[Dzintra aka Ingrid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good read by Di! Lovely description of Hawaiian Islands which made me feel like I was there! Loved learning about the culture and perhaps what the locals really feel about their sovereignty being taken off them.

[Bronwyn Rykiert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Catherine Moreland, who has been brought up on the family cattle property “Heatherbrae”, is given a trip to London with a stopover at Hawaii for her 21st birthday by her parents. In London she meets American Naval Officer Bradley Connor and they start dating. Not long after Bradley is transferred to Hawaii so he and Catherine start correspondence and on her way home to Australia she stops over to catch up with him in Hawaii and while there he asks her to marry him, Catherine is sure she is in love so she agrees to marry him and before she knows it she is thrown into life as the wife of a naval officer, a life she finds is not for her.

While Bradley is out working and then away at sea she meets Kianne, a local dancer and other locals and is drawn to the folklore of the islands. She meets Lester, an old reclusive surfer and starts spending time with him, he tells her the story about his life. She starts work as a part time photographer and immerses herself in experiences that change her life forever. She meets PJ, a freewheeling surfer who teaches her to surf, he holds her heart for a bit too.

Eventually she goes back home to spend her life at “Heatherbrae”. This is the story of her life in the early ‘70’s.

This story started off well, then I found myself frustrated a little with Catherine and what she was throwing away, but in the end it was for the best. The story came together well and I did enjoy

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book, listened to it on an Audio book, and the story was great. My first experience with a Di Morrissey book and I loved it.

The story of Catherine and her time in the islands of Hawaii was amazing, the description of the places and people of Hawaii, made me feel like I was there, now I want to go and see the places spoken about in the book.

Great story and one with a happy ending, nice feel good story.

[Siobhan · Rating 1 out of 5]

After reading two previous Di Morrissey books (The Plantation and Monsoon) I was really looking forward to reading this. Unfortunately I got just over a third of the way through and stopped. It was predictable and frankly, dull in many places. What a disappointment. Life is too short to waste it plowing your way through boring, predictable books.

[Bev · Rating 2 out of 5]

My reaction to this book is tempered by the fact that it's not the type of book I normally read. Having said that, I recently saw Di Morrissey interviewed on ABC Breakfast and I found the interview interesting and she came across as charming, down to earth, and a writer whose work I believed it was time to check out. Thus, The Islands.

First comment: it's just too long. I can't understand why books have to be such great doorstoppers, as so many are, almost as though the author is telling three stories in one. Now, one thing I did really like is how much I learnt about the people of Hawaii and their feelings regarding the take-over of their country by the USA and their loss of sovereignty, right up to their modern day attitudes towards the US presence, and particularly the navy, in their islands. That is something that I had no knowledge or appreciation of, and so for me that is a huge bonus from reading this book. I suppose my main grumble about the book is the super quick, super fast way everything ties up so neatly at the end, and, I have to say, in a pretty predictable way. I think I knew on page 1 (or was it 2?) who Catherine would end up married to. I found that ending totally unsatisfying.

Now I've said all that, this is a book that I know many people will enjoy (am definitely passing it on to a couple of family members who will, I know, love it), and they will have the bonus of learning so much about Hawaii while doing so.

[Megg Ross · Rating 1 out of 5]

The book was a complete bore, and very unlikeable.

The main character Catherine was one dimensional. She lacked any emotional depth. It wasn’t just her, but basically all characters. As a result, I never routed for any characters or cared about them or their relationships. There was never any build up of chemistry and I felt no emotion from them whatsoever.

For instance, Catherine ends her marriage to Bradley so abruptly it’s jolting. His somewhat shocked whereas he should be completely and utterly devastated, heartbroken! from his POV, its completely out of nowhere because she never really expressed her discontent with the marriage. He has no emotional depth because the author didn’t give him any (like all of the characters). So, they have what two conversations, and then they part ways?……… he moves to DC and she moves on like it never happened?

She also cheats on Bradley which would send a normal person into emotional turmoil. Do we see or feel any of that? Nope, she just carries on because it’s a one dimensional character.

The ending also feels so contrived. The dialogue in the last chapter is so so awkward……..

[Jill Barnes · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was disappointed in this book. I had previously read Di Morrissey's "Tears of the Moon", which was a superb novel, but this one was very ordinary in comparison. An Australian girl, Catherine Moreland is gifted a world trip for her 21st birthday from her parents. Of course, she meets a handsome US Navy officer in London, and then, amazingly, he is in Hawaii when she stops there on her way home to Australia. A very short courtship, followed by a Hawaiian wedding, organised by the wife of the Commander of the naval base, and suddenly Catherine discovers that as a naval wife, she is expected to toe the line, i.e. be submissive. At 21, she hasn't yet discovered what she wants from life, but soon falls in love with the Hawaiian Islands and the Hawaiian people. It is inevitable that there are clashes, as the naval "family" doesn't mix with the locals.
The novel lacks depth and is very predictable as the story plays out.

[Trish G · Rating 3 out of 5]

To gain a clear understanding of this novel one has to be aware that it was written in the early 1980’s.
Social mores have changed (thankfully & mostly) since then.
Young Catherine Moreland from rural New South Wales meets an American naval Officer & is swept off her feet.
Marrying him, they move to Hawaii where the world of surfing, racism & life as a Navy wife shake her beliefs & upbringing.
Meeting a group of young surfers, being introduced to the hippy culture & a mystery man whose past is slowly teased out between Catherine’s story is the thread that unifies the story.
A romantic escapist book, the book resonated with me as I have been to all the Hawaiian islands, landmarks & points of interest mentioned in the book.

[Kerry Hennigan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ah Hawaii... and Hawaii in the 1970s, which is when I first experienced The Islands of Di Morrissey's novel. It WAS wonderful, as her Aussie heroine Catherine discovers when she marries a handsome American naval officer who is stationed at Pearl Harbor.

Catherine falls in love with the islands, with Waikiki and its people, especially the Hawaiians who keep alive the memories of the old ways. When she visits Kauai, she discovers there are other ways of living a happy and fulfilled life than the regimented routine and closed social circle of naval wives.

This is a wonderful novel, another five star success by Di Morrissey and it had me wanted to hop on a plane and fly back to Hawaii, not so much as it is now, but as it was when Catherine - and I - first saw it.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I usually read this book each year on holidays because it takes my imagination back to beautiful Hawaii! It’s set in the 70’s and is a beautiful story of a young woman who finds herself while living there. She evolves with new adventures & experiences after being stifled by a controlling old fashioned vanilla husband. She learns about herself & others with the beautiful backdrop of Oahu & Kauai, and meets some interesting local friends she meets along the way. Di Morrissey always paints the most beautiful pictures through her writing. Thoroughly enjoyed this one!

[Tracy Sargeant · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this having recently visited Hawaii and bringing back lots of memories of the beautiful Island. It was good following Catherine’s story from a country girl who travels around the world and married a naval officer in Hawaii after a whirlwind romance. She finds the beauty in Hawaii and makes some great friends who teach her about the history. Catherine finds the strength to do what is best for her rather than just doing what is expected of her.

[Michael Dear · Rating 2 out of 5]

I gave up on this one after Chapter 9. Although the backstory of capitalism versus traditional land ownership and culture is a major issue in our times, the development of the story lacked sufficient drive to keep me interested. I think this story could have been told in half the number of pages by cutting the level of detail and adding more intrigue / danger / mystery to keep the reader interested.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like to learn something new when reading a book and I did find some of the Hawaiian culture and the stories of the Waterman interesting but the chauvinistic attitude of the US Navy and its officers left me exasperated. Admittedly that was back in the 1970s?? but even the Navy wives were so obviously accepting of the controlling attitude.

[Heather Weir · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another escape to the beauty of Hawaii and Kimberly

I love getting absorbed in these stories. The writing is captivating and imagery makes it easy to fall in love with the characters.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an ok read, which is a bit disappointing considering I usually really enjoy Di Morrissey’s books. I found it very hard to get into and stay interested in, which is why I think it took me so long to read.

[waz1234W · Rating 5 out of 5]

great book

Very interesting love the old memories and the new. The reliving the waterman story. How life can change so quickly but not always for all and not for the better. But it did for Cathrine

[Linley Crofskey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book as it was set in Hawaii and I could picture the places mentioned

[Chiro Pipashito T H · Rating 3 out of 5]

As usual, Di Morrissey took me to the place where the story unfolded. The ending was believable. The book could be shorter.

[Ann Kewley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic! Couldn't put it down! read it in one day! I loved it because my daughter lived on Oahu for a few years and I have visited there 4 times.

[Kat Ashworth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the setting and characters. Refreshing take on love, learning and adventures of the soul.
Fairly standard read for Di Morrissey.

[Gabrielle Trenbath · Rating 2 out of 5]

As usual, Di’s work are same, same but always slightly different

[Juanita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story. Really makes me want to go to the Hawaiin islands even more now.

[Christine Harrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable read. Nice and light. I enjoyed the writing and will look to read more by this author

[Kimberley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved reading of the culture and changes people faced

[Tanya Boulter · Rating 2 out of 5]

Di Morrissey is losing that winning writing touch