What do you think?
Rate this book
Cane Fires
Lei Ferreira is fortunate to live in beautiful Hawaii. She is not so fortunate to have a native Hawaiian heritage in the 1970s when discrimination and corporate corruption disrupt the peace of Paradise. Lei and her family struggle to protect their ancestral lands against the depredations of powerful sugar company vice president Arthur Driscoll and his son Mark.
Lei gradually becomes an activist after she is fired from her job as a teacher. She is horrified when George Helm, a leader of those opposing the suppression of Hawaiian culture is killedyet his words inspire her to persevere when her grandmother dies and her family’s land on the Big Island is contested.
After meeting Mark Driscoll, Lei wonders whether a relationship with him is possible and whether all sugar barons have a sense of superiority towards Hawaiians. Mark struggles to reconcile his duty to his firm and his family with its plotting to take over yet more land as he becomes more involved with Lei.
When Lei’s son Kalani disappears and Mark finds a lawyer who will fight for her family, the conflict escalates with a bombing, a murder and a dramatic court confrontation. It seems that the Hawaiian Renaissance can only begin with bloodshed . . .
This review is Cane Fires (Kindle Edition)
Joyce Lebra has written yet another compelling story in an exotic setting across the Hawaiian Islands--a story of love & passion, friendship, family, greed, and honor. In a drama of a single-mom's struggle against prejudice and to find her lost son, Lebra weaves the social discontent of the native Hawaiian in facing the realities of racism and commercial degradation in this would-be Paradise. The story can be read as a fast-paced romance-mystery--or with the additional depth of social critique in the steps of Jack London's Hawaiian tales and Edmund Wilson's Apologies to the Iroquois. This book should be a must-read for all those going to Hawaii, providing them with an engaging romance-mystery and social awareness--adding depth and intrigue to any vist.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
Joyce Lebra, was raised in Honolulu and understands the authentic history of the islands well. She has also spent many years in Japan and India. She was professor of the history of India and Japan at the University of Colorado, and has lectured widely around the world on Asian history.
She holds a Ph.D. from Harvard and an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from the University of Minnesota. In addition to her literary awards, President Nathan of Singapore launched her recent work, Women Against the Raj; the Rani of Jhansi Regiment.
She is author of a dozen books, including a historical novel, The Scent of Sake.
Lei gradually becomes an activist after she is fired from her job as a teacher. She is horrified when George Helm, a leader of those opposing the suppression of Hawaiian culture is killedyet his words inspire her to persevere when her grandmother dies and her family’s land on the Big Island is contested.
After meeting Mark Driscoll, Lei wonders whether a relationship with him is possible and whether all sugar barons have a sense of superiority towards Hawaiians. Mark struggles to reconcile his duty to his firm and his family with its plotting to take over yet more land as he becomes more involved with Lei.
When Lei’s son Kalani disappears and Mark finds a lawyer who will fight for her family, the conflict escalates with a bombing, a murder and a dramatic court confrontation. It seems that the Hawaiian Renaissance can only begin with bloodshed . . .
This review is Cane Fires (Kindle Edition)
Joyce Lebra has written yet another compelling story in an exotic setting across the Hawaiian Islands--a story of love & passion, friendship, family, greed, and honor. In a drama of a single-mom's struggle against prejudice and to find her lost son, Lebra weaves the social discontent of the native Hawaiian in facing the realities of racism and commercial degradation in this would-be Paradise. The story can be read as a fast-paced romance-mystery--or with the additional depth of social critique in the steps of Jack London's Hawaiian tales and Edmund Wilson's Apologies to the Iroquois. This book should be a must-read for all those going to Hawaii, providing them with an engaging romance-mystery and social awareness--adding depth and intrigue to any vist.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
Joyce Lebra, was raised in Honolulu and understands the authentic history of the islands well. She has also spent many years in Japan and India. She was professor of the history of India and Japan at the University of Colorado, and has lectured widely around the world on Asian history.
She holds a Ph.D. from Harvard and an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from the University of Minnesota. In addition to her literary awards, President Nathan of Singapore launched her recent work, Women Against the Raj; the Rani of Jhansi Regiment.
She is author of a dozen books, including a historical novel, The Scent of Sake.
240 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 18, 2012
2 people want to read
About the author
Joyce Lebra
15 books10 followersJoyce Lebra, also known as Joyce Chapman Lebra, was an American historian of Japan and India and the celebrated author of nine non–fiction titles and three novels. She was a scholar of Japan and notable professor emeritus at the University of Colorado.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
No one has reviewed this book yet.