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The Pohaku
From the award-winning author of
Hula
, a dazzling saga about the founding of Hawaii and a magical relic that links the generations of one extraordinary family.
In the present day, a woman lies in a hospital bed, watched over by her attentive, caring grandmother. The young woman was recently at a party and was seen jumping from the roof—but that couldn’t have been what happened, surely? In fits and starts, the grandmother begins to explain to her granddaughter the long tail of their family’s history, nestled in which may be the secret to why hardship and mystery have followed them through the centuries….
Soon, we travel back in time to the 18th century, when the explorer James Cook becomes the first European to visit the Hawaiian Islands. He soon intersects with Kamehameha, the first ruler of the Kingdom of Hawaii. And soon begins a thrilling family saga, as each generation is put in charge of the pohaku, a stone with seemingly magical powers; it is carried from Hawaii to California and possibly beyond, bringing fortune to the good and misfortune to the bad. But with each successive generation, its powers grow, and those who carry it in their lineage—especially the women of the family—are able to channel its powers for good.
Reminiscent of Yaa Gyasi’s Homegoing, Min Jin Lee’s Pachinko, and Tommy Orange’s There, There, The Pohaku is an immersive and bold novel about the history, perseverance, and resilience of the Hawaiian people.
In the present day, a woman lies in a hospital bed, watched over by her attentive, caring grandmother. The young woman was recently at a party and was seen jumping from the roof—but that couldn’t have been what happened, surely? In fits and starts, the grandmother begins to explain to her granddaughter the long tail of their family’s history, nestled in which may be the secret to why hardship and mystery have followed them through the centuries….
Soon, we travel back in time to the 18th century, when the explorer James Cook becomes the first European to visit the Hawaiian Islands. He soon intersects with Kamehameha, the first ruler of the Kingdom of Hawaii. And soon begins a thrilling family saga, as each generation is put in charge of the pohaku, a stone with seemingly magical powers; it is carried from Hawaii to California and possibly beyond, bringing fortune to the good and misfortune to the bad. But with each successive generation, its powers grow, and those who carry it in their lineage—especially the women of the family—are able to channel its powers for good.
Reminiscent of Yaa Gyasi’s Homegoing, Min Jin Lee’s Pachinko, and Tommy Orange’s There, There, The Pohaku is an immersive and bold novel about the history, perseverance, and resilience of the Hawaiian people.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published February 3, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 162 reviews
January 7, 2026
I enjoyed The Pohaku overall and found it to be a solid, engaging listen. The story did get a little slogged down in details at times, and there were moments where it felt like it plodded along more than it needed to. Still, for the most part it kept things moving and held my interest.
The switches between timelines were done really well and never felt confusing, which helped the story flow better than I expected. I especially appreciated the rich history of Hawaiʻi woven throughout—I learned so much that felt new and meaningful.
Jolene Jaxon did a strong job with the narration. She brought a lot of heart to the book and kept the characters distinct. The overall production quality was polished and easy to listen to. I enjoyed the audiobook format for this story.
Thank you to Harper Audio and NetGalley for the ARC.
The switches between timelines were done really well and never felt confusing, which helped the story flow better than I expected. I especially appreciated the rich history of Hawaiʻi woven throughout—I learned so much that felt new and meaningful.
Jolene Jaxon did a strong job with the narration. She brought a lot of heart to the book and kept the characters distinct. The overall production quality was polished and easy to listen to. I enjoyed the audiobook format for this story.
Thank you to Harper Audio and NetGalley for the ARC.
October 17, 2025
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC.
I enjoyed the first third of this book, but once the setting changed from Hawaii to California, I lost the plot and especially in the last third, I was quite confused about what was happening and who was who, and how that connected to the narrator and her granddaughter. I enjoyed some of the historical fiction, especially the parts set in Hawaii in the 1700s-early 1800s but the extensive California gold rush historical fiction at times felt distracting from the main story.
I enjoyed the first third of this book, but once the setting changed from Hawaii to California, I lost the plot and especially in the last third, I was quite confused about what was happening and who was who, and how that connected to the narrator and her granddaughter. I enjoyed some of the historical fiction, especially the parts set in Hawaii in the 1700s-early 1800s but the extensive California gold rush historical fiction at times felt distracting from the main story.
October 11, 2025
(Note: I received an advanced reader copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley)
This saga tells of the history of Hawaii, a surprising amount of the history of California, and on a grander scale tells a story of the history of fighting to hold on to one's culture and community in the face of seemingly relentless outside pressure, and also a story of multigenerational trauma. The Pohaku is the kind of read that is achingly, painfully tragic, yet also so gorgeously written, and also so eye-openingly informative too that it's a genuine challenge to put down once one gets into the real flow of the story. Jasmin Iolani Hakes has once again knocked it out of the park with an absolutely top-notch work, and although this book hasn't even been published yet as of this review, I already am eager to see what she has in store for the future.
This saga tells of the history of Hawaii, a surprising amount of the history of California, and on a grander scale tells a story of the history of fighting to hold on to one's culture and community in the face of seemingly relentless outside pressure, and also a story of multigenerational trauma. The Pohaku is the kind of read that is achingly, painfully tragic, yet also so gorgeously written, and also so eye-openingly informative too that it's a genuine challenge to put down once one gets into the real flow of the story. Jasmin Iolani Hakes has once again knocked it out of the park with an absolutely top-notch work, and although this book hasn't even been published yet as of this review, I already am eager to see what she has in store for the future.
January 3, 2026
The Pōhaku had an amazing premise, but I’m disappointed by the execution.
I love multi-generational storytelling. This story was beautiful, delving into the layers upon layers of trauma and resilience from colonialism. In this way, I felt the author did a phenomenal job.
However, the story itself was hard to follow. By the middle of the book, we’d been introduced to so many characters that it was hard to keep track of who was who.
This is written as a grandmother telling her heritage to her granddaughter who is in a coma. This, in my opinion, both strengthened and weakened the story telling. I felt the grandmothers voice wasn’t consistent throughout the book, and I think the story could’ve benefited from more with more focus on the women throughout the story. There was very little dialogue between them, and a lot of telling rather than showing. It was difficult for me to feel any attachment to any of them—I didn’t get a sense of who they were.
My biggest disappointment was with the ending. While I understand the authors choice, I felt cheated as a reader to not see an absolute resolution with the granddaughter.
I do think that readers would also benefit from a glossary of some sort to reference throughout the book. There are many phrases and mentions throughout the book that I wasn’t familiar with. And having so many characters throughout, I think having that could help with understanding the world a little bit more.
I really wanted to like this book, but it did fall flat for me. I do think there is potential for this book to resonate with others and to be wonderful.
Thank you to the publisher, HarperVia, the author, Jasmine ‘Ionlani Hakes, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I love multi-generational storytelling. This story was beautiful, delving into the layers upon layers of trauma and resilience from colonialism. In this way, I felt the author did a phenomenal job.
However, the story itself was hard to follow. By the middle of the book, we’d been introduced to so many characters that it was hard to keep track of who was who.
This is written as a grandmother telling her heritage to her granddaughter who is in a coma. This, in my opinion, both strengthened and weakened the story telling. I felt the grandmothers voice wasn’t consistent throughout the book, and I think the story could’ve benefited from more with more focus on the women throughout the story. There was very little dialogue between them, and a lot of telling rather than showing. It was difficult for me to feel any attachment to any of them—I didn’t get a sense of who they were.
My biggest disappointment was with the ending. While I understand the authors choice, I felt cheated as a reader to not see an absolute resolution with the granddaughter.
I do think that readers would also benefit from a glossary of some sort to reference throughout the book. There are many phrases and mentions throughout the book that I wasn’t familiar with. And having so many characters throughout, I think having that could help with understanding the world a little bit more.
I really wanted to like this book, but it did fall flat for me. I do think there is potential for this book to resonate with others and to be wonderful.
Thank you to the publisher, HarperVia, the author, Jasmine ‘Ionlani Hakes, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Did Not Finish
February 2, 2026DNF @ 25%
Received early audiobook from NetGalley, but not rating on goodreads.
I did not end up finishing this book because the historical parts sounded like I was in a history class . I was enjoying the very beginning, but I quickly grew bored. I like my historical fiction more character driven.
Received early audiobook from NetGalley, but not rating on goodreads.
I did not end up finishing this book because the historical parts sounded like I was in a history class . I was enjoying the very beginning, but I quickly grew bored. I like my historical fiction more character driven.
May 3, 2026
The Pohaku by Jasmin Iolani Hakes is a quietly powerful and atmospheric read with a strong sense of cultural identity and history, weaving together personal and generational stories with care and intention.
One of the book’s greatest strengths is its connection to land and ancestry. The setting feels alive, not just as a backdrop but as something that actively shapes the characters and their choices. That sense of grounding adds emotional weight to the narrative and makes the story feel intimate and immersive.
The characters themselves are thoughtfully written, each carrying their own struggles, histories, and relationships to identity. I appreciated how the book explores themes of belonging, displacement, and resilience without feeling overly heavy-handed. There’s a subtlety to the storytelling that allows the emotions to build naturally.
This isn’t a plot-driven story as much as it is a character and atmosphere-driven one, and it rewards patience. It may not be for readers looking for fast-paced action, but for those who enjoy thoughtful, immersive narratives, it’s well worth the time.
One of the book’s greatest strengths is its connection to land and ancestry. The setting feels alive, not just as a backdrop but as something that actively shapes the characters and their choices. That sense of grounding adds emotional weight to the narrative and makes the story feel intimate and immersive.
The characters themselves are thoughtfully written, each carrying their own struggles, histories, and relationships to identity. I appreciated how the book explores themes of belonging, displacement, and resilience without feeling overly heavy-handed. There’s a subtlety to the storytelling that allows the emotions to build naturally.
This isn’t a plot-driven story as much as it is a character and atmosphere-driven one, and it rewards patience. It may not be for readers looking for fast-paced action, but for those who enjoy thoughtful, immersive narratives, it’s well worth the time.
April 9, 2026
What I came here expecting: magical realism take on the Kingdom of Hawai'i.
What I got: a story that wanted too much to show the parallels between different areas impacted by colonialism, and through that expanded too wide to stay coherent.
I wanted to know more of the 1992-adjacent storyline. Was any of it truly connected to the pōhaku, or is it all in the grandmother's head, as she's trying to make sense of the amount of suffering in the last several generations? In a novel that remains consistently strong I could have accepted it doesn't really matter, but in a book where the only consistent thing is: how bleak the future of every generation looks, and the titular tie-in isn't even remotely present or important in any way for half of the book, it all feels incomplete: the abrupt ending, the lack of answers, the next catastrophe being the only way to come.
Wish we have never left queen Ka'ahumanu's side.
What I got: a story that wanted too much to show the parallels between different areas impacted by colonialism, and through that expanded too wide to stay coherent.
I wanted to know more of the 1992-adjacent storyline. Was any of it truly connected to the pōhaku, or is it all in the grandmother's head, as she's trying to make sense of the amount of suffering in the last several generations? In a novel that remains consistently strong I could have accepted it doesn't really matter, but in a book where the only consistent thing is: how bleak the future of every generation looks, and the titular tie-in isn't even remotely present or important in any way for half of the book, it all feels incomplete: the abrupt ending, the lack of answers, the next catastrophe being the only way to come.
Wish we have never left queen Ka'ahumanu's side.
October 25, 2025
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this Advance Reader Copy in exchange for a review.
Across the ages and generations, we the readers learn some Hawaiian history as the author weaves a story of the Pohaku or sacred stone, ohana, and what it means to be Hawaiian.
I really enjoyed this book - at least the first half - as a lover of Hawaiian culture and history, but somehow it dried up a little. I can pinpoint the why for me, so if it is resolved, it will fix everything. I lived in Hawaii for years and knew many of the Hawaiian words and places mentioned, but if I didn't have that background knowledge, it would have bogged me down sooner. So there is no glossary to help you out - and there is no authors note at the end that would have answered my MANY questions. So I hope before publication, the publisher hears my cry and adds those features, as a good authors notes is literally the best part about reading historical fiction.
3*
Across the ages and generations, we the readers learn some Hawaiian history as the author weaves a story of the Pohaku or sacred stone, ohana, and what it means to be Hawaiian.
I really enjoyed this book - at least the first half - as a lover of Hawaiian culture and history, but somehow it dried up a little. I can pinpoint the why for me, so if it is resolved, it will fix everything. I lived in Hawaii for years and knew many of the Hawaiian words and places mentioned, but if I didn't have that background knowledge, it would have bogged me down sooner. So there is no glossary to help you out - and there is no authors note at the end that would have answered my MANY questions. So I hope before publication, the publisher hears my cry and adds those features, as a good authors notes is literally the best part about reading historical fiction.
3*
Did Not Finish
May 13, 2026NO: A book I borrowed from the library to try before I buy (tired buying hundreds books and hating half)
I do not rate these “tested”
books. This is really for me. I will not be buying, reading borrowing this book.
I read first ch or more -first 10-100 pages skim around at times. I read many of my GR friend’s reviews. This is what I did and didn’t like:
Stunning cover and I love HCP.
Sigh 😔 I HATE books written in second person. It doesn’t work for me. It’s a gran telling her granddtr the story. Google “Yes, using ‘ you’ to address a character (or the reader) is the definition of second-person point of view.” Plus many complain she again uses a lot of terminology that someone not from the area wouldn’t know. Yes I can look it up but then the story loses the flow if my nose is always in a dictionary. It scored poorly on GR and with MF. I don’t think this author is for me.
No …pass…
I do not rate these “tested”
books. This is really for me. I will not be buying, reading borrowing this book.
I read first ch or more -first 10-100 pages skim around at times. I read many of my GR friend’s reviews. This is what I did and didn’t like:
Stunning cover and I love HCP.
Sigh 😔 I HATE books written in second person. It doesn’t work for me. It’s a gran telling her granddtr the story. Google “Yes, using ‘ you’ to address a character (or the reader) is the definition of second-person point of view.” Plus many complain she again uses a lot of terminology that someone not from the area wouldn’t know. Yes I can look it up but then the story loses the flow if my nose is always in a dictionary. It scored poorly on GR and with MF. I don’t think this author is for me.
No …pass…
August 13, 2025
A narrative about the trauma constructed from colonial conquest that seeks to erode identities. A story that spans across three generations from the beginning of Hawaii’s colonialism to the 1990s. Generational trauma weaved into a narrative to show the power of reconnecting to ancestral concepts after over a century of colonialist ideals. Deconstructing your identity after your culture has been forced into western ideals is the theme here. What does it mean to define your identity and how do you reclaim a heritage that society tries to erase?
The prose is poignant and eloquent. The distinction of time during each chapter helps to understand the perspective of the three women who pass down the the pōhaku. Each generation engages the struggle differently to maintain their identity – but each century opens a new pathway towards rejecting western ideals. This is the way to understand the negative impact of forcing christianity and western ideals unto people who were once freely living in their culture. Will be reading fhe author’s novel, Hula next! Thank you HarperVia and Netgalley for this electronic arc!
Read more recommendations and reviews https://brujerialibrary.wordpress.com
The prose is poignant and eloquent. The distinction of time during each chapter helps to understand the perspective of the three women who pass down the the pōhaku. Each generation engages the struggle differently to maintain their identity – but each century opens a new pathway towards rejecting western ideals. This is the way to understand the negative impact of forcing christianity and western ideals unto people who were once freely living in their culture. Will be reading fhe author’s novel, Hula next! Thank you HarperVia and Netgalley for this electronic arc!
Read more recommendations and reviews https://brujerialibrary.wordpress.com
October 9, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4.5/5 STARS
(rounded up to 5)
i loved this book so much! to get a glimpse of the hardships of the people and those who fought to keep pieces of their culture & identity was just... heartbreaking, yet inspiring. i've read some books before that brought light to a some of the cruelty that generations of Native Hawaiians have faced, but from a fictionalized perspective peppered with truth, it made it even harder to digest simply because the characters felt real in this book. it truly is a beautifully written immersive experience. the Hawaiian people are resilient & irrepressible group people. the love for their island, each other, and their family is so beautiful to me.
i highly recommend this. it's a beautiful story about perserverance, culture, and family. while i wish the ending didn't feel almost abrupt, i also felt it needed to end the way it did. it's an opportunity for the reader to hope that all's well that end's well. i haven't read this author's previous work, but i do intend to now... and i look forward to more!
Mahalo to the author and publisher for allowing me to read an advanced copy via NetGalley. i leave this review of my own volition; all thoughts and opinions are mine.
(rounded up to 5)
i loved this book so much! to get a glimpse of the hardships of the people and those who fought to keep pieces of their culture & identity was just... heartbreaking, yet inspiring. i've read some books before that brought light to a some of the cruelty that generations of Native Hawaiians have faced, but from a fictionalized perspective peppered with truth, it made it even harder to digest simply because the characters felt real in this book. it truly is a beautifully written immersive experience. the Hawaiian people are resilient & irrepressible group people. the love for their island, each other, and their family is so beautiful to me.
i highly recommend this. it's a beautiful story about perserverance, culture, and family. while i wish the ending didn't feel almost abrupt, i also felt it needed to end the way it did. it's an opportunity for the reader to hope that all's well that end's well. i haven't read this author's previous work, but i do intend to now... and i look forward to more!
Mahalo to the author and publisher for allowing me to read an advanced copy via NetGalley. i leave this review of my own volition; all thoughts and opinions are mine.
April 9, 2026
If this book wasn't reading for a book club I'm in, I would have DNF'd very early in this book and after reaching the end, I wish I would have. The synopsis promised a story of Hawaii's history but the majority of the story was about California's settlers. The story jumps from family member to family member leaving you without a connection to the characters which left me feeling like I had read a textbook instead of a novel. The ending leaves you without much of anything and such a sad depiction of such a beautiful place.
January 29, 2026
Something kept drawing me in to read this book. When I finally had the chance (thanks to an ARC from NetGalley and HarperAudio) I instantly knew why.
I went in thinking this was going to be more of a mystery surrounding what happened to the girl in a coma…
But, what I found was a well-written historical (fiction) novel about the Hawaiian people, their struggles, resilience and perseverance to keep their history and sacred stone (Pohaku) safe throughout generations.
The story was eye-opening, heartbreaking, and an important read for anyone looking to dig deeper into the impact of colonialism on island nations and indigenous people.
I was grateful that Jolene Jaxon read this novel. Firstly, because I would not have been able to pronounce many of the words correctly - which is important for me to get right - it would have taken away from the story. Secondly, because her re-telling of the story really moved me. I could visualize everything so vividly in my mind.
All in all this was a very well-written novel and I am excited to read her debut novel, Hula, next!
I went in thinking this was going to be more of a mystery surrounding what happened to the girl in a coma…
But, what I found was a well-written historical (fiction) novel about the Hawaiian people, their struggles, resilience and perseverance to keep their history and sacred stone (Pohaku) safe throughout generations.
The story was eye-opening, heartbreaking, and an important read for anyone looking to dig deeper into the impact of colonialism on island nations and indigenous people.
I was grateful that Jolene Jaxon read this novel. Firstly, because I would not have been able to pronounce many of the words correctly - which is important for me to get right - it would have taken away from the story. Secondly, because her re-telling of the story really moved me. I could visualize everything so vividly in my mind.
All in all this was a very well-written novel and I am excited to read her debut novel, Hula, next!
February 24, 2026
I liked the first half more than the second. The history was interesting, the writing was good but the story didn't really keep my interest. I think I was hoping for more mythology around the object. I also think since it kept jumping around to new generations I didn't get attached enough to the characters.
February 27, 2026
The Pohaku by Jasmin Iolani Hakes, narrated by Jolene Jaxon, is not here to coddle you, and honestly, thank goodness for that.
Published by HarperVia, with thanks to the publisher for the gifted copy, this novel makes it clear from the start that it values memory, land, and lineage over reader convenience. Whether you read it in print or listen on audio, this is a story that asks for patience and attention. It does not rush. It does not simplify. It insists you sit with it.
At its core, The Pohaku is a multigenerational story about Hawaiian women tasked with protecting the pōhaku, an ancient stone bound to the balance between people, land, and spirit. The book opens in 1992 with a grandmother sitting at the hospital bedside of her comatose granddaughter, unsure whether the young woman fell from a cliff or was pulled into the sea. What follows is the grandmother’s attempt to heal her granddaughter through story, tracing their family’s lineage back through centuries of Hawaiian history and eventually across the ocean to California.
The Hawaiʻi sections are where this novel truly shines. Hakes writes about place with reverence and specificity, and the cultural loss caused by colonialism, Christianity, and capitalism is rendered with a quiet, accumulating grief. These chapters feel grounded, intimate, and alive. Listening to them on audio deepened that intimacy. Jolene Jaxon’s narration brings warmth and gravity to the grandmother’s voice, especially in moments where the prose leans into oral storytelling. Her pacing allows the weight of the history to land without feeling rushed or overperformed.
This is not a dialogue-heavy novel, and that will be a deal-breaker for some readers. Much of the story unfolds in a sweeping, almost oral-history style that prioritizes legacy and continuity over sharp, scene-driven character moments. At times, the sheer number of characters and generations can blur together, particularly in print. On audio, however, Jaxon’s subtle shifts in tone help orient the listener and smooth some of that complexity, making the lineage easier to follow than I expected.
When the story shifts to California during the Gold Rush era, the tone becomes more observational and historical. These sections are thematically important, underscoring how displacement fractures families and the natural world itself, but they read more distantly than the Hawaiʻi chapters. I admired the research and scope while occasionally wishing for deeper emotional anchoring. Even so, hearing these sections aloud emphasized the contrast between land treated as sacred and land treated as commodity, which feels very much like the point.
The emotional heart of the novel remains with the grandmother. Her regrets, her love, her failures, and her belief that story itself might still matter feel painfully human. One line lingered with me long after finishing: “You have to know who you are.” That idea pulses through every generation in this book, even when the characters themselves are struggling to hear it.
The ending is open and abrupt, and I know it will frustrate many readers. I didn’t love it, but I understood it. This is a novel about unfinished histories and unresolved loss. In that way, the ending feels thematically honest, even if emotionally unsatisfying.
This is challenging, thoughtful historical and literary fiction that prioritizes cultural memory over narrative ease. While the print edition demands focus, the audiobook offers a more immersive, emotionally guided experience. If you’re choosing between formats, I would genuinely recommend the audio.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆ 4 out of 5 stars
#ThePohaku #JasminIolaniHakes #JoleneJaxon #AudiobookReview #HistoricalFiction #LiteraryFiction #HawaiianHistory #WomensFiction #BookReview #HarperVi
Published by HarperVia, with thanks to the publisher for the gifted copy, this novel makes it clear from the start that it values memory, land, and lineage over reader convenience. Whether you read it in print or listen on audio, this is a story that asks for patience and attention. It does not rush. It does not simplify. It insists you sit with it.
At its core, The Pohaku is a multigenerational story about Hawaiian women tasked with protecting the pōhaku, an ancient stone bound to the balance between people, land, and spirit. The book opens in 1992 with a grandmother sitting at the hospital bedside of her comatose granddaughter, unsure whether the young woman fell from a cliff or was pulled into the sea. What follows is the grandmother’s attempt to heal her granddaughter through story, tracing their family’s lineage back through centuries of Hawaiian history and eventually across the ocean to California.
The Hawaiʻi sections are where this novel truly shines. Hakes writes about place with reverence and specificity, and the cultural loss caused by colonialism, Christianity, and capitalism is rendered with a quiet, accumulating grief. These chapters feel grounded, intimate, and alive. Listening to them on audio deepened that intimacy. Jolene Jaxon’s narration brings warmth and gravity to the grandmother’s voice, especially in moments where the prose leans into oral storytelling. Her pacing allows the weight of the history to land without feeling rushed or overperformed.
This is not a dialogue-heavy novel, and that will be a deal-breaker for some readers. Much of the story unfolds in a sweeping, almost oral-history style that prioritizes legacy and continuity over sharp, scene-driven character moments. At times, the sheer number of characters and generations can blur together, particularly in print. On audio, however, Jaxon’s subtle shifts in tone help orient the listener and smooth some of that complexity, making the lineage easier to follow than I expected.
When the story shifts to California during the Gold Rush era, the tone becomes more observational and historical. These sections are thematically important, underscoring how displacement fractures families and the natural world itself, but they read more distantly than the Hawaiʻi chapters. I admired the research and scope while occasionally wishing for deeper emotional anchoring. Even so, hearing these sections aloud emphasized the contrast between land treated as sacred and land treated as commodity, which feels very much like the point.
The emotional heart of the novel remains with the grandmother. Her regrets, her love, her failures, and her belief that story itself might still matter feel painfully human. One line lingered with me long after finishing: “You have to know who you are.” That idea pulses through every generation in this book, even when the characters themselves are struggling to hear it.
The ending is open and abrupt, and I know it will frustrate many readers. I didn’t love it, but I understood it. This is a novel about unfinished histories and unresolved loss. In that way, the ending feels thematically honest, even if emotionally unsatisfying.
This is challenging, thoughtful historical and literary fiction that prioritizes cultural memory over narrative ease. While the print edition demands focus, the audiobook offers a more immersive, emotionally guided experience. If you’re choosing between formats, I would genuinely recommend the audio.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆ 4 out of 5 stars
#ThePohaku #JasminIolaniHakes #JoleneJaxon #AudiobookReview #HistoricalFiction #LiteraryFiction #HawaiianHistory #WomensFiction #BookReview #HarperVi
March 23, 2026
"The Pōhaku" by Jasmin 'Iolani Hakes is a fiction story with a historical legend story woven throughout it. It is set in and about Hawaii, but also spends a lot of time in California during the Gold Rush time. It begins in 1992 and goes back to the early 1800s.
The story centers around the Pohaku, which I do not completely understand, but it is supposed to contain the power of nature in Hawaii. It was some sort of stone, perhaps a volcanic stone. In the legend told in this book, it came out in the afterbirth and called a stone baby. It had a strong vibration.
The Pōhaku was taken to California, but should never have left Hawaii.
In Kauai, a teenage girl jumped into the ocean or fell and crashed against the rocks and ends up in a coma. Her grandmother comes to see her every day and tells her the long history of the Pōhaku which is in her family's heritage.
I was bored and confused through most of this book. I thought about DNFing it, but I try very hard to never do that. Unfortunately, it didn't get better. There are far too many characters to keep track of them all.
The writing isn't bad, but the plot is confusing. The pacing is terrible, extremely slow.
The narrator for the audiobook, Jolene Jaxon, did a very good job.
Characters - 3/5
Writing - 3/5
Plot - 2/5
Pacing - 1/5
Unputdownability - 1/5
Enjoyment - 1/5
Narration - 5/5
Cover - 5/5
Overall - 21/8 = 2 5/8
rounded up to 3 stars
Thank you to Netgalley, Harper Audio Adult, and Jasmin 'Iolani Hakes for providing this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.
The story centers around the Pohaku, which I do not completely understand, but it is supposed to contain the power of nature in Hawaii. It was some sort of stone, perhaps a volcanic stone. In the legend told in this book, it came out in the afterbirth and called a stone baby. It had a strong vibration.
The Pōhaku was taken to California, but should never have left Hawaii.
In Kauai, a teenage girl jumped into the ocean or fell and crashed against the rocks and ends up in a coma. Her grandmother comes to see her every day and tells her the long history of the Pōhaku which is in her family's heritage.
I was bored and confused through most of this book. I thought about DNFing it, but I try very hard to never do that. Unfortunately, it didn't get better. There are far too many characters to keep track of them all.
The writing isn't bad, but the plot is confusing. The pacing is terrible, extremely slow.
The narrator for the audiobook, Jolene Jaxon, did a very good job.
Characters - 3/5
Writing - 3/5
Plot - 2/5
Pacing - 1/5
Unputdownability - 1/5
Enjoyment - 1/5
Narration - 5/5
Cover - 5/5
Overall - 21/8 = 2 5/8
rounded up to 3 stars
Thank you to Netgalley, Harper Audio Adult, and Jasmin 'Iolani Hakes for providing this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.
May 23, 2026
This truly ended up being one of the worst books I've read in a long time. There were so many characters and not enough story to tie them together or make it epic in any way. (I loved, for example, the epic story. Hawaii by Janes Minchener which I read many years ago). The Pohaku story was hard to keep track of and just when I started getting into figuring out who is who it would be a new generation of characters. Then something would happen where like Soyo dies and John marries Mahina and they have a family together. The all of a sudden he shoots her in the stomach because she won't tell him where the pohaku is. There's no fleshing out of the story at all. I will admit that in the last 50 pages I had to skim because it was so bad. In the the part of the story that was actually decent, the part that took place in 1992 that it went back to every couple of chapters, nothing gets resolved or answered. I really hate that. Did the woman in the hospital go home? Did she go to live with her grandmother? Did she attempt to commit suicide and that's why she was in the hospital or was it an accident? Did she live when they unplugged her from the machines? In that very last article when they mentioned that woman in her seventies died in the hurricane in 1992 was that the grandmother? Why is none of this explained? This book was pretty bad. Would not recommend.
May 23, 2026
I’m sad to say I DNF this book at 38%. There is so much promise in this story and it’s such an interesting concept, especially that the pōhaku is a source of mana. This book fell flat for me and it felt like a slog to even get to 38%.
I loved the Hawaiian cosmology and ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language). However, this book urgently needs an index. I suspect I struggled less than the average reader because I’m Māori and some of our kupu (words) and concepts are similar or the same, and I already have a limited knowledge of Hawaiian cosmology and culture, but even then it was difficult for me.
I couldn’t connect with any of the characters, though I did enjoy the tutu’s (grandmother’s) voice. There is no character development for anyone, we’re just constantly moving on and meeting new characters, all of which were drawn in a very shallow way. The characters are difficult to keep track of.
The way the story is told over generations feels overwhelming, with too much telling, not showing.
I read some reviews and finding out that the ending isn’t resolved in a satisfying way, was the deciding factor for me in DNFing. I think this book could have benefited from a developmental edit.
I loved the Hawaiian cosmology and ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language). However, this book urgently needs an index. I suspect I struggled less than the average reader because I’m Māori and some of our kupu (words) and concepts are similar or the same, and I already have a limited knowledge of Hawaiian cosmology and culture, but even then it was difficult for me.
I couldn’t connect with any of the characters, though I did enjoy the tutu’s (grandmother’s) voice. There is no character development for anyone, we’re just constantly moving on and meeting new characters, all of which were drawn in a very shallow way. The characters are difficult to keep track of.
The way the story is told over generations feels overwhelming, with too much telling, not showing.
I read some reviews and finding out that the ending isn’t resolved in a satisfying way, was the deciding factor for me in DNFing. I think this book could have benefited from a developmental edit.
July 3, 2026
An intergenerational epic about how Hawaii became what it is today. And a scathing critique of colonialism.
The author has done an incredible job at humanizing history in an engaging and thought provoking way. And also addressing how connected we are today to those who came before us. And how our ancestors’ choices affect who and what we are today.
This is a book I’m going to sit with for a while. It was sometimes really gut wrenching and other times so hopeful. Not a light read, but a necessary one.
The author has done an incredible job at humanizing history in an engaging and thought provoking way. And also addressing how connected we are today to those who came before us. And how our ancestors’ choices affect who and what we are today.
This is a book I’m going to sit with for a while. It was sometimes really gut wrenching and other times so hopeful. Not a light read, but a necessary one.
March 11, 2026
I received this book as an advanced copy. I really enjoyed the book, the unfiltered look at history and the story telling. I had no knowledge of Hawaii before this and was confused with some of the terminology in the beginning but I was able use context clues to figure it out. I would recommend for anyone who likes a historical story or wants to know more about Hawaii.
May 8, 2026
I learned so much about Hawaiian culture, mythology, and colonialism in Hawaii from this book. I appreciated the familial lore and alternating timelines. The plot structure was a bit drawn out and I found the conclusion really unsatisfying. I wanted more for these characters! The setting was also confusing - only a small portion of the book takes place in Hawaii, and this book is way more about Hawaiian displacement than Hawaiian lore.
May 9, 2026
The majority of this book is truly fantastic, and was both entertaining and educational for me as someone who knows little about Hawaiian history. However, the ending left a lot to be desired. It felt like the author got bored in the middle of writing or was trying to meet a deadline and stopped at a random point, wrote two half-assed chapters to wrap things up, and called it a day.
May 21, 2026
Bijzonder om ook eens iets uit de Hawaiiaanse literatuur en over de Hawaiiaanse cultuur te lezen.
June 7, 2026
4.5 STARS
June 20, 2026
i wish there was less with more, rather than more with less. there was just a lot going on and felt disorganized/disconnected.
May 17, 2026
Wanted mystery. Received geology and generational sorrow? Kind of lost my attention somewhere around 3/4 through.
February 27, 2026
This book chose not to include a glossary to its detriment. I almost didn't continue with the story at the beginning because there were so many Hawaiian words and none of them were explained. only some of them were clear in context. I kept reading and found myself more engaged towards the middle but I think overall this book is too long. It definitely taught me about Hawaian history, and made me sit with the trauma passed down from generation to generation. But on that note, I felt like there were too many jumps from too many people without getting a chance to really connect with any of them. I didn't really feel any attachment to any of the generations we followed because we don't really get to know them that well before the story moves on. I'm also frustrated by the ending, I felt cheated.
June 17, 2026
important history that was bogged down by too many characters. at times I wasn't sure if it was historical fiction, a history book, or magical realism, and I wanted more from the "present day" setting.
February 27, 2026
I was so excited to see this because I loved Hula, and again a multigenerational Hawaiian story. And it was enjoyable, but just not as captivating.
I think the older stories in Hawaii were really great, and I even liked the modern storytelling narrative, but the last few generations in CA and beyond just didn’t strike me as much.
Once again, Hakes’ writing is beautiful in such a lyrical way.
I think the older stories in Hawaii were really great, and I even liked the modern storytelling narrative, but the last few generations in CA and beyond just didn’t strike me as much.
Once again, Hakes’ writing is beautiful in such a lyrical way.
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