Salt

by Kolo

The boy fell to his knees, silence like a shawl on his naked shoulders. He wrapped Kalo’s wound in tapa with an endearing and almost feminine gentleness. It seemed to surprise Kalo, and he burst into tears... Malani couldn't imagine what Kalo must be feeling. Malani would one day return to his village, his family, his life, after he had remembered all of Kumulipo. But Kalo would never be able to go back: the sea wouldn’t let him. Kalo was born of the ocean, so like a child, he must cry to learn to cope with the pains of living… The boy patted the man's shoulder and soothed him, all the while trying to remember what, according to the name chant, followed the darkness out of the dark.

90 pages, Paperback

First published January 9, 2013

Reviews

[Mika · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it. My biggest complaint was that it was shorter than I would have liked.

I enjoyed the development of Carlos/Kalo. Having some knowledge of Hawaiian history, I really appreciated the "reality" in this story. I also respect how Kolo used sex and sexuality to create nuance and knowledge between the characters. I like that the sexual acts were about far more than sex. It was a beautiful romance and a wonderful tragedy.