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The Aloha Spirit
The spirit of aloha is found in Hawaii’s fresh ocean air, the flowers, the trade winds . . . the natural beauty that smooth the struggles of daily life. In 1922 Honolulu, unhappy in the adoptive family that’s raised her, Dolores begins to search for that spirit early on―and she begins by running away at sixteen to live with her newlywed friend Maria.
Trying to find her own love, Dolores marries a young Portuguese man named Manolo His large family embraces her, but when his drinking leads to physical abuse, only his relative Alberto comes to her rescue―and sparks a passion within Dolores that she hasn’t known before. Staunch Catholics can’t divorce, however; so, after the Pearl Harbor attack, Dolores flees with her two daughters to California, only to be followed by both Manolo and Alberto. In California, Manolo’s drinking problems continue―and Alberto’s begin. Outraged that yet another man in her life is turning to the bottle for answers, Dolores starts to doubt her feelings for Alberto. Is he only going to disappoint her, as Manolo has? Or is Alberto the embodiment of the aloha spirit she’s been seeking?
Trying to find her own love, Dolores marries a young Portuguese man named Manolo His large family embraces her, but when his drinking leads to physical abuse, only his relative Alberto comes to her rescue―and sparks a passion within Dolores that she hasn’t known before. Staunch Catholics can’t divorce, however; so, after the Pearl Harbor attack, Dolores flees with her two daughters to California, only to be followed by both Manolo and Alberto. In California, Manolo’s drinking problems continue―and Alberto’s begin. Outraged that yet another man in her life is turning to the bottle for answers, Dolores starts to doubt her feelings for Alberto. Is he only going to disappoint her, as Manolo has? Or is Alberto the embodiment of the aloha spirit she’s been seeking?
354 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 18, 2020
18 people are currently reading
2040 people want to read
About the author
Linda Ulleseit
16 books140 followersLinda Ulleseit was born and raised in Saratoga, California, and has taught elementary school in San Jose since 1996. She has an MFA in writing from Lindenwood University, is Marketing Chair of Women Writing the West, and a founding member of Paper Lantern Writers. She enjoys cooking, cross-stitching, reading, and spending time with her family. Her favorite subject is writing, and her students get a lot of practice scribbling stories and essays. Someday Linda hopes to see books written by former students alongside hers in bookstores.
Her first novel, ON A WING AND A DARE, was published in spring, 2012. It is a Young Adult fantasy set in medieval Wales, complete with flying horses, a love triangle, and treachery. The followup novel, IN THE WINDS OF DANGER, was published in February, 2013. The final one in the trilogy, UNDER A WILD AND DARKENING SKY, came out May 2014. WINGS OVER TREMERICHSON is an ebook novella that introduces the series.
Linda now writes historical fiction. UNDER THE ALMOND TREES came out May 2014. It follows three strong women who shape women's rights in California in the late nineteenth century. THE ALOHA SPIRIT, about a woman growing up in territorial Hawaii, comes out August 2020.
Follow Linda Ulleseit's books at http://ulleseit.wordpress.com or on Facebook (Linda Ulleseit) or twitter (@LindaUlleseit)
Her first novel, ON A WING AND A DARE, was published in spring, 2012. It is a Young Adult fantasy set in medieval Wales, complete with flying horses, a love triangle, and treachery. The followup novel, IN THE WINDS OF DANGER, was published in February, 2013. The final one in the trilogy, UNDER A WILD AND DARKENING SKY, came out May 2014. WINGS OVER TREMERICHSON is an ebook novella that introduces the series.
Linda now writes historical fiction. UNDER THE ALMOND TREES came out May 2014. It follows three strong women who shape women's rights in California in the late nineteenth century. THE ALOHA SPIRIT, about a woman growing up in territorial Hawaii, comes out August 2020.
Follow Linda Ulleseit's books at http://ulleseit.wordpress.com or on Facebook (Linda Ulleseit) or twitter (@LindaUlleseit)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
October 16, 2020
Well researched with plenty interesting characters, and the main character of Dolores is definitely one to root for. I wanted to learn more about Hawaii, deeper than what I picked up from Michener years ago, and I wasn't disappointed.
On the other hand, I was mixed regarding what the author termed Aloha spirit as it applied to Dolores and how I felt about it. Love? Family support? To me, it was an excuse, much like Catholicism, for men to treat women like slaves (and an older woman, in this case). Put whatever lovely tag you wish on it, it's still slavery. Dolores was fortunate they let her go to school at all—hurrah, at least until high school, then education was over. No time to do homework or study, too busy working. And this was supposed to be fine because she was surrounded by happy family. Give. me. a. break.
Maybe the Artful Dodger should have been sitting at their table.
Next Dolores marries a lazy, wife-beating drunk and is stuck with him because they are Catholic. Ah, but her God and Aloha spirit will save her. What happened to "God helps those who help themselves"? Over twenty years and two children later and she is still stuck with this character. Is this what women are supposed to put up with?
Not any longer. That's the blessing of reading something like this. We know better today. I certainly hope so.
Then there is that miraculous ending that comes out of nowhere. We hoped for that one, didn't we.
My main problem was I had more emotion reading it than came through on the pages from the characters. For all Dolores went through, I didn't feel much from her. Where was the anger, the frustration, fear? I felt it all for her. Anger and frustration, mostly, with why she didn't react more.
Yet, a lot went into this narrative. That's obvious. As a tale, I wanted to know what would happen next. Would the heroine ever wise up? And I wanted to know what they would do on December 7, 1941, and after. And . . . and . . . and.
So this one is worth reading. Ladies, just be glad you live now and not then.
On the other hand, I was mixed regarding what the author termed Aloha spirit as it applied to Dolores and how I felt about it. Love? Family support? To me, it was an excuse, much like Catholicism, for men to treat women like slaves (and an older woman, in this case). Put whatever lovely tag you wish on it, it's still slavery. Dolores was fortunate they let her go to school at all—hurrah, at least until high school, then education was over. No time to do homework or study, too busy working. And this was supposed to be fine because she was surrounded by happy family. Give. me. a. break.
Maybe the Artful Dodger should have been sitting at their table.
Next Dolores marries a lazy, wife-beating drunk and is stuck with him because they are Catholic. Ah, but her God and Aloha spirit will save her. What happened to "God helps those who help themselves"? Over twenty years and two children later and she is still stuck with this character. Is this what women are supposed to put up with?
Not any longer. That's the blessing of reading something like this. We know better today. I certainly hope so.
Then there is that miraculous ending that comes out of nowhere. We hoped for that one, didn't we.
My main problem was I had more emotion reading it than came through on the pages from the characters. For all Dolores went through, I didn't feel much from her. Where was the anger, the frustration, fear? I felt it all for her. Anger and frustration, mostly, with why she didn't react more.
Yet, a lot went into this narrative. That's obvious. As a tale, I wanted to know what would happen next. Would the heroine ever wise up? And I wanted to know what they would do on December 7, 1941, and after. And . . . and . . . and.
So this one is worth reading. Ladies, just be glad you live now and not then.
March 23, 2023
I enjoyed this book set in Hawaii starting in 1922 and ending in California in 1950.
Dolores was sent to live with her father's friend when she was only 7 when he couldn't take care of her since he was working and her mother died earlier. She basically became a child laborer that age. She was only 16 when she married Manolo and had two daughters at a young age. What a strong women dealing with an abusive husband and two daughters.
When Pearl Harbor hit, she left for California and stayed with her brother. Her life continued on without her husband.
It wasn't an easy book to read in places but I enjoyed "being in Hawaii" and all it's glory despite Pearl Harbor.
The ending was abrupt to me.
Dolores was sent to live with her father's friend when she was only 7 when he couldn't take care of her since he was working and her mother died earlier. She basically became a child laborer that age. She was only 16 when she married Manolo and had two daughters at a young age. What a strong women dealing with an abusive husband and two daughters.
When Pearl Harbor hit, she left for California and stayed with her brother. Her life continued on without her husband.
It wasn't an easy book to read in places but I enjoyed "being in Hawaii" and all it's glory despite Pearl Harbor.
The ending was abrupt to me.
August 3, 2020
What is “family”? How do families behave? Relate? Stick together? Who is and isn’t “family” – and why?
These questions and more swirl through the pages of a captivating new historical novel by Linda Ulleseit. Set in Hawaii and California, The Aloha Spirit is the compelling story of Dolores and her lifelong search for “family” and the aloha spirit.
We first meet Dolores when her father drops her off at a friend’s house. He and Dolores’s older brother are heading to California to find work.
Bewildered and feeling abandoned, the scrappy seven year-old soon wearies of the never-ending, back-breaking work at Noelani’s. Dolores dreams of re-joining her family on the mainland. But when her father finally invites her to join him in California some four years later, Dolores isn’t exactly turning cartwheels at the prospect.
Several different settings and experiences later, Dolores eventually learns that family “just is.” You don’t “choose it or grow it.” Most of the time “you just deal with it” with love and patience. She also learns that “family” sometimes means loving a person without loving everything they do.
A fascinating, clever blend of history, culture and customs, The Aloha Spirit is divided into three parts. It covers 28 years between 1922 and 1950. In Part 1 Dolores goes from one “odd person out” context of “family, but not really” to the next.
The story takes readers to the sugar-white sand beaches of Hawaii and Diamond Head, San Francisco and the World’s Fair, and a backyard shelter during the 1941 bombing of Pearl Harbor. We eventually wind up in Sunnyvale and then San Jose, California.
Along Dolores’ journey of personal growth and self-discovery, The Aloha Spirit gently shows us how even a blood brother can be ‘ohana in name only. How friends can be closer than sisters. What keeping “aloha in your heart” really means. And why.
It also shows us how and why “Aloha” is much more than a greeting or a farewell. It also means giving kindness and appreciation to everyone, even family members who are hard to love. Aloha is “the joyous sharing of life’s energy,” as Dolores finds out in her teenage years. But to have aloha, you need to love yourself first. Dolores finds this out later, when her teen marriage to Manolo unravels. Then family ties are sorely tested when Dolores and her two children evacuate Hawaii for California and her brother’s place after Pearl Harbor is bombed.
Somewhere along the way, Dolores falls in love with Alberto. She’s still married to a jerk. But Dolores is Catholic. And Catholics don’t divorce. Especially when doing so means losing her family.
Dialogue attributed to a grade schooler strains credulity at times in Part 1. Joining Dolores in the kitchen to chop veggies or stir stew also gets a little old. But The Aloha Spirit quickly rises above such mundanities and paints a vast, vibrant mosaic of time, culture, loss and disappointment, triumph and redemption.
Poignant and captivating, The Aloha Spirit brims with gentle insights and fascinating cultural and historical vignettes. This book has a realistic, authentic feel to it that makes it a winsome read. Characters are dynamic and three-dimensional. Fortified with rich, lyrical prose, settings are lush and unique. You can almost feel the trade winds and smell the pikake blooms as Dolores slowly realizes the true meaning of familia es todo.
A delicious read. Aloha.
These questions and more swirl through the pages of a captivating new historical novel by Linda Ulleseit. Set in Hawaii and California, The Aloha Spirit is the compelling story of Dolores and her lifelong search for “family” and the aloha spirit.
We first meet Dolores when her father drops her off at a friend’s house. He and Dolores’s older brother are heading to California to find work.
Bewildered and feeling abandoned, the scrappy seven year-old soon wearies of the never-ending, back-breaking work at Noelani’s. Dolores dreams of re-joining her family on the mainland. But when her father finally invites her to join him in California some four years later, Dolores isn’t exactly turning cartwheels at the prospect.
Several different settings and experiences later, Dolores eventually learns that family “just is.” You don’t “choose it or grow it.” Most of the time “you just deal with it” with love and patience. She also learns that “family” sometimes means loving a person without loving everything they do.
A fascinating, clever blend of history, culture and customs, The Aloha Spirit is divided into three parts. It covers 28 years between 1922 and 1950. In Part 1 Dolores goes from one “odd person out” context of “family, but not really” to the next.
The story takes readers to the sugar-white sand beaches of Hawaii and Diamond Head, San Francisco and the World’s Fair, and a backyard shelter during the 1941 bombing of Pearl Harbor. We eventually wind up in Sunnyvale and then San Jose, California.
Along Dolores’ journey of personal growth and self-discovery, The Aloha Spirit gently shows us how even a blood brother can be ‘ohana in name only. How friends can be closer than sisters. What keeping “aloha in your heart” really means. And why.
It also shows us how and why “Aloha” is much more than a greeting or a farewell. It also means giving kindness and appreciation to everyone, even family members who are hard to love. Aloha is “the joyous sharing of life’s energy,” as Dolores finds out in her teenage years. But to have aloha, you need to love yourself first. Dolores finds this out later, when her teen marriage to Manolo unravels. Then family ties are sorely tested when Dolores and her two children evacuate Hawaii for California and her brother’s place after Pearl Harbor is bombed.
Somewhere along the way, Dolores falls in love with Alberto. She’s still married to a jerk. But Dolores is Catholic. And Catholics don’t divorce. Especially when doing so means losing her family.
Dialogue attributed to a grade schooler strains credulity at times in Part 1. Joining Dolores in the kitchen to chop veggies or stir stew also gets a little old. But The Aloha Spirit quickly rises above such mundanities and paints a vast, vibrant mosaic of time, culture, loss and disappointment, triumph and redemption.
Poignant and captivating, The Aloha Spirit brims with gentle insights and fascinating cultural and historical vignettes. This book has a realistic, authentic feel to it that makes it a winsome read. Characters are dynamic and three-dimensional. Fortified with rich, lyrical prose, settings are lush and unique. You can almost feel the trade winds and smell the pikake blooms as Dolores slowly realizes the true meaning of familia es todo.
A delicious read. Aloha.
September 2, 2020
The author gives us a view of Hawaii that most tourists probably don't see or understand. She provides a glimpse into the lives of several families from the 1920s until after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. The theme of the spirit of Aloha runs through the story and we learn that it encompasses more than "hello" and "goodbye." The main character Dolores earns our sympathy right from the start as she overcomes difficulties with grace and intelligence. Strong descriptive language pulls us into the lush island environment. It's a well-told story of endurance, family loyalty, and love. Highly recommended!
April 29, 2024
Loved this book so much, but what was that ending. I felt like it ended so quickly and I needed more. This would be a great book for a sequel.
August 29, 2020
In The Aloha Spirit, Linda Ulleseit takes us to the Hawaii of the 1920s, where Dolores, a seven-year-old girl, is left by her father in the care of a Hawaiian family. From the beginning, Dolores impresses us with her strength. She feels abandoned by her father, but hopes that if she can learn to become useful, her father will send for her to come to California to live with him and her brother. Dolores' foster family requires her to work very hard, but no harder than they themselves work, and in fact, the hard work seems essential to them as part of the definition of the aloha spirit. Family is of prime importance, and Dolores struggles to find one to fit into. After a few years, she moves in with her foster sister, Maria, and Maria's new husband. With them and the children they have, Dolores comes to believe that the true aloha spirit is about love, and about the family that you make. When she marries, she cherishes her husband's relatives, and she yearns to keep her connection with them, even after problems arise in her marriage. After she and her daughters move to California, Dolores continues her search for the meaning of the aloha spirit as a guide to how to live her life.
Ulleseit never overdramatizes Dolores' difficulties, but presents them to the reader as part of her life, and we eagerly follow Dolores, hoping that she can find happiness. Dolores inspires us with her resilience, her ability to love, and her dedication to family. The Aloha Spirit beautifully illustrates quiet determination in the face of hardship, the importance of finding where and with whom you belong, and, ultimately, the power of love.
Ulleseit never overdramatizes Dolores' difficulties, but presents them to the reader as part of her life, and we eagerly follow Dolores, hoping that she can find happiness. Dolores inspires us with her resilience, her ability to love, and her dedication to family. The Aloha Spirit beautifully illustrates quiet determination in the face of hardship, the importance of finding where and with whom you belong, and, ultimately, the power of love.
August 24, 2020
*I won this book from a Goodreads first-reads giveaway.
O'hana means family in Hawaiian, and that is the basis of this story. Dolores has been shuffled around her whole life. At a very young age, she loses her mother. Then at 7 years old, her father and brother leave her for a better life on the mainland. She is left in the care of a woman who takes in foster children but makes them work hard for their room and board. She learns to do laundry at 7 and then at 9 starts to learn how to cook. Life skills in the 20s and 30s. But the life lesson that is really taught in that home is the value of family. Every meal is eaten together and there is always lively conversation. Dolores becomes fast friends with one of the older girls in the house, Maria until Maria leaves to get married and have a family of her own. She stops going to school after the sixth grade to help more in the home she is in. She is then invited to live with Maria and her husband Peter to help care for their children.
At 16, she marries one of the local "bad boys" but is embraced by a large family. As her marriage to an alcoholic husband becomes abusive, she longs for a safe life. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Dolores and her 2 daughters go to California to seek a new life and to live with her brother, Paul and his wife, but her past follows her.
I love the way the author writes in the way she visualizes her writing. I could see the ocean waves, be in the lanai, smell the cooking in Grandma Jessie's kitchen. Very good read!
O'hana means family in Hawaiian, and that is the basis of this story. Dolores has been shuffled around her whole life. At a very young age, she loses her mother. Then at 7 years old, her father and brother leave her for a better life on the mainland. She is left in the care of a woman who takes in foster children but makes them work hard for their room and board. She learns to do laundry at 7 and then at 9 starts to learn how to cook. Life skills in the 20s and 30s. But the life lesson that is really taught in that home is the value of family. Every meal is eaten together and there is always lively conversation. Dolores becomes fast friends with one of the older girls in the house, Maria until Maria leaves to get married and have a family of her own. She stops going to school after the sixth grade to help more in the home she is in. She is then invited to live with Maria and her husband Peter to help care for their children.
At 16, she marries one of the local "bad boys" but is embraced by a large family. As her marriage to an alcoholic husband becomes abusive, she longs for a safe life. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Dolores and her 2 daughters go to California to seek a new life and to live with her brother, Paul and his wife, but her past follows her.
I love the way the author writes in the way she visualizes her writing. I could see the ocean waves, be in the lanai, smell the cooking in Grandma Jessie's kitchen. Very good read!
January 25, 2021
Set in Old Hawaii, The Aloha Spirit delves into the complicated and fraught history of the Portuguese in early Hawaii through the eyes of Dolores. We follow her from 1922 as she a child at an Oahu Portuguese Camp on a sugar plantation, then onto an orphanage, an oppressive marriage, and finally to California post Peal Harbor. The author's lush descriptions of Hawaii evoke the smells, sights, and sounds (and even tastes) of the islands. Experiencing the subjugation (and self-subjugation) of Dolores is sometimes difficult to read as times marches on and she doesn't make a change. But reading about oppressed women in historical novels is an important reminder of how far women have come, and how far we still have to go. When Dolores finally moves to California (1940), she finds her strength and bravery and perhaps comes to understand her self worth. The Aloha Spirit is a fantastic read, full of a family loyalty, love, and the resilience of women throughout history in early Hawaii and early California. The glossary of Hawaiian, Portuguese, and Spanish words/phrases is a special treat!
September 20, 2020
A very good read that after reading the author note at the end is based on a family members life. The main character, Deloros was a very strong woman from the beginning. She faced many challenges, but always stuck by her faith and her desire to get what she wanted. A book about families. The book leaves you wanting to know what happens next.
October 5, 2020
I read an interview about this author in Trisha Faye's PAGES OF THE PAST and I wanted to read it right away. I even mistakenly ordered two of the books on the same day (but I found a friend who would appreciate it, too!) I just loved the main character Dolores - going from coming of age until a grown woman. I saw the world through her eye and learned about the Aloha spirit... and realized what a good outlook that was for life. Thank you, Linda Ulleseit. You made your grandmother proud!
September 23, 2020
I want more!
More Dolores; more Medeiros family; more Carmen & Betty; more Aloha!
What a tender and moving story about real life and love. I was fascinated by the insights about Hawaiian history and culture (and food!) and loved the characters.
Mahalo nui loa!
More Dolores; more Medeiros family; more Carmen & Betty; more Aloha!
What a tender and moving story about real life and love. I was fascinated by the insights about Hawaiian history and culture (and food!) and loved the characters.
Mahalo nui loa!
October 4, 2020
Inspiring story of triumph in the face of significant challenges. Ulleseit captures the period and place (World War II Hawaii & California) beautifully. Her protagonist, Delores, is dealt a number of difficult hands, but continues to persevere and share the Aloha Spirit with those she encounters. Realistic portrayals of family relationships keep Delores's story grounded. I was rooting for her from the beginning and anxious to find out what would happen next.
October 25, 2022
This book was inspired by Linda’s husband’s grandmother, Dolores (sorrow), a native Hawaiian of Spanish descent. Her life was full of pain and hardship. Her mother died when she was young. Her father left her with a “foster family” and took her brother to California to build a better life. Married at 16, to a husband destined to be an abusive alcoholic, Dolores never gives up, never stops working hard, and strives to contribute to and be Ohana.
The book is well researched and gives a perspective into the lives of several families trying to survive, including the Depression, the World’s Fair on Treasure Island to Pearl Harbor.
The descriptions are lush and evacotive, painting the images of old Hawaii. I can still smell the cooking sausages, rice, mangoes and strawberries.
Despite the many disappointments and hardships, Dolores finds friendship and love and these joyous moments sustain her and keep her moving towards the family she wants, the Aloha Spirit she sees around her.
This book should make Dolores and her family proud of her achievements.
I look forward to Linda Ulleseit’s other books of strong, real women from her family tree.
The book is well researched and gives a perspective into the lives of several families trying to survive, including the Depression, the World’s Fair on Treasure Island to Pearl Harbor.
The descriptions are lush and evacotive, painting the images of old Hawaii. I can still smell the cooking sausages, rice, mangoes and strawberries.
Despite the many disappointments and hardships, Dolores finds friendship and love and these joyous moments sustain her and keep her moving towards the family she wants, the Aloha Spirit she sees around her.
This book should make Dolores and her family proud of her achievements.
I look forward to Linda Ulleseit’s other books of strong, real women from her family tree.
October 1, 2020
Love the combination of Hawaiian history and this story of a strong young girl who, in spite of all that's thrown at her in her life, fights to keep the aloha spirit as her mantra and philosophy. Beautifully written and engaging from beginning to end -- ready for the sequel, please!
October 12, 2020
“Dolores’s father deemed her useless when she was seven.” So begins Linda Ulleseit’s novel The Aloha Spirit. With those words, I dropped into Dolores’s world, a Hawaii beyond and deeper than the tourist vision of grass skirts and ukuleles. Through her eyes the mosaic of cultures that is Hawaii--native Hawaiian, Spanish, Japanese, Portuguese, Anglo, etc.--comes to life.
When Dolores’s father and brother move to California to pursue better employment, she is given to a Hawaiian family not her own. Life is hard, so she is put to work, as is everyone else in the family. She learns that family includes everyone whether they be relatives or friends. Dolores feels the loss of having a family of her own and longs for a sense of belonging. She works to become useful so she can join her father and brother in California. And she learns the importance of living the aloha spirit.
Aloha is not just a word of greeting or farewell; rather, aloha spirit is a way of being that is delineated in Hawaii state law. It is a working philosophy of Native Hawaiians which is the essence of relationships based on mutual regard and caring. The aloha spirit becomes the measuring stick against which Dolore measures her decisions.
As the reader follows Dolores through her challenges to come to terms with a life of hard work, her attempts to forge a family of her own, a difficult marriage, and her move to the mainland, Ulleseit sets her story within the trajectory of world events from the 1920s, the Los Angeles World Fair, the attack on Pearl Harbor and World War II, and eventual Hawaiian Statehood.
Ulleseit offers a captivating story. The pace is gentle as the trade winds. She evokes island life with lyrical description and the inclusion of words in Hawaiian, Spanish and other non-English languages. She deftly weaves the definition into the text which enhances the reader’s experience. In addition, she provides a glossary of non-English words for those who wish to reference it.
From the opening words, I cared about Dolores, the choices she makes, the circumstances that influence them, and their consequences. Ulleseit creates believable characters that have both strengths and flaws. The pace is gentle but compelling. I didn’t want to put it down, but to turn the page or start the next chapter.
Ulleseit states that her passion is to bring the voices of empowering unknown women to life through her stories. She does so admirably with The Aloha Spirit. In these days of limited travel, enjoy the gentle ocean breezes of Oahu through Ulleseit’s latest novel.
This book was reviewed for Story Circle Book Reviews by Barbara Heming.
When Dolores’s father and brother move to California to pursue better employment, she is given to a Hawaiian family not her own. Life is hard, so she is put to work, as is everyone else in the family. She learns that family includes everyone whether they be relatives or friends. Dolores feels the loss of having a family of her own and longs for a sense of belonging. She works to become useful so she can join her father and brother in California. And she learns the importance of living the aloha spirit.
Aloha is not just a word of greeting or farewell; rather, aloha spirit is a way of being that is delineated in Hawaii state law. It is a working philosophy of Native Hawaiians which is the essence of relationships based on mutual regard and caring. The aloha spirit becomes the measuring stick against which Dolore measures her decisions.
As the reader follows Dolores through her challenges to come to terms with a life of hard work, her attempts to forge a family of her own, a difficult marriage, and her move to the mainland, Ulleseit sets her story within the trajectory of world events from the 1920s, the Los Angeles World Fair, the attack on Pearl Harbor and World War II, and eventual Hawaiian Statehood.
Ulleseit offers a captivating story. The pace is gentle as the trade winds. She evokes island life with lyrical description and the inclusion of words in Hawaiian, Spanish and other non-English languages. She deftly weaves the definition into the text which enhances the reader’s experience. In addition, she provides a glossary of non-English words for those who wish to reference it.
From the opening words, I cared about Dolores, the choices she makes, the circumstances that influence them, and their consequences. Ulleseit creates believable characters that have both strengths and flaws. The pace is gentle but compelling. I didn’t want to put it down, but to turn the page or start the next chapter.
Ulleseit states that her passion is to bring the voices of empowering unknown women to life through her stories. She does so admirably with The Aloha Spirit. In these days of limited travel, enjoy the gentle ocean breezes of Oahu through Ulleseit’s latest novel.
This book was reviewed for Story Circle Book Reviews by Barbara Heming.
October 26, 2020
This beautifully written novel broke my heart from the first chapter as I fell for seven-year-old Dolores abandoned by her father in 1922 Honolulu. The author’s poetic sensory language swept the story along with ocean breezes, floral scents and lush surroundings inducing me to keep turning the pages. Throughout the read I rooted for Dolores as she navigated life despite adversaries with courageous grace. And oh, what a magnificent 1950 ending!
October 17, 2020
Dolores is a heroic women. Linda always writes about strong women. Fun to read about many local places. I know WWII books about women are quite popular but this one is a nice departure as it focuses on the individual and not necessarily on the world events at the time.
December 24, 2022
An excellent book for anyone who can't travel to Hawaii this summer, or anyone who enjoys a good story with a strong female character.
Can you feel the trade winds blowing? See the palm trees sway? Smell the plumeria?
Can you feel the trade winds blowing? See the palm trees sway? Smell the plumeria?
November 24, 2020
The Aloha Spirit introduces us to the Island of Hawaii in 1922 and seven-year old Dolores as she is left with an adoptive family when her Father and Brother relocate to California. Home life is hard, back-breaking work and when she is given the opportunity to become a live-in helper to her newly-wed, pregnant friend, Maria, she jumps at the chance. Dolores finally feels settled and accepted but then the large, Portuguese Medeiros family enter her life. Despite Maria’s warnings, Dolores marries Manolo Medeiros after a whirlwind courtship. But with the storm clouds of Pearl Harbour looming and Manolo’s drinking escalating, can Dolores keep The Aloha Spirit alive?...
I thought this was an involving and accomplished novel. I found it hard to put down; it’s a sweeping, generational read and Dolores is a quietly masterful main character. The reader palpably feels her come of age from such a small girl to a Mother of two in her thirties. Her character arc is believable and investable. Notwithstanding the buffeting that life gives her, she maintains a simple humility and hardworking ethos combined with a thread of steel. However, despite the constraints of the time and her religion, I just longed from a reader’s perspective for her to raise her voice a little louder at times, especially to her brother Paul’s wife, Sofia. The raft of characters we encounter are all nicely individual; Noelani was a standout for me, I also enjoyed Dolores’ time with Maria and Peter and I thought Carmen’s blindness was a poignant inclusion. Manolo’s behaviour was a little predictable but you really felt the tension and downright fear when he was in the family home; I found myself feeling a little sorry for him in places, despite his inexcusable behaviour. At the very heart of the novel is the relationship between Dolores and Alberto Rodrigues, Manolo’s cousin. It’s understated and so much that passes between them is unspoken. I thought it was a clever strategy that Alberto maintained his distinctive pidgin accent; it provided subtle distance between him and the rest of the Medeiros clan. I did not expect the ending; it was quite a sudden twist that I thought worked well and, given Dolores’ life up to that point, was very apt.
The entire book, even when the action is in the US, is infused with Hawaiian culture; colours, smells, weather, food and language. The descriptive imagery is lush, exotic and absorbing aided by the relaxed, breezy tempo of the narrative. Ms Ulleseit’s enthusiasm for Hawaii, its people and heritage is evident in every line. The prose feels engulfed in sunlight despite navigating some difficult issues. Her Husband’s Grandmother, who was the inspiration behind the book, would be incredibly proud.
The Aloha Spirit is a polished, sumptuous and enjoyable novel bringing the spirit of Hawaii and its people richly to life. Highly recommended.
I thought this was an involving and accomplished novel. I found it hard to put down; it’s a sweeping, generational read and Dolores is a quietly masterful main character. The reader palpably feels her come of age from such a small girl to a Mother of two in her thirties. Her character arc is believable and investable. Notwithstanding the buffeting that life gives her, she maintains a simple humility and hardworking ethos combined with a thread of steel. However, despite the constraints of the time and her religion, I just longed from a reader’s perspective for her to raise her voice a little louder at times, especially to her brother Paul’s wife, Sofia. The raft of characters we encounter are all nicely individual; Noelani was a standout for me, I also enjoyed Dolores’ time with Maria and Peter and I thought Carmen’s blindness was a poignant inclusion. Manolo’s behaviour was a little predictable but you really felt the tension and downright fear when he was in the family home; I found myself feeling a little sorry for him in places, despite his inexcusable behaviour. At the very heart of the novel is the relationship between Dolores and Alberto Rodrigues, Manolo’s cousin. It’s understated and so much that passes between them is unspoken. I thought it was a clever strategy that Alberto maintained his distinctive pidgin accent; it provided subtle distance between him and the rest of the Medeiros clan. I did not expect the ending; it was quite a sudden twist that I thought worked well and, given Dolores’ life up to that point, was very apt.
The entire book, even when the action is in the US, is infused with Hawaiian culture; colours, smells, weather, food and language. The descriptive imagery is lush, exotic and absorbing aided by the relaxed, breezy tempo of the narrative. Ms Ulleseit’s enthusiasm for Hawaii, its people and heritage is evident in every line. The prose feels engulfed in sunlight despite navigating some difficult issues. Her Husband’s Grandmother, who was the inspiration behind the book, would be incredibly proud.
The Aloha Spirit is a polished, sumptuous and enjoyable novel bringing the spirit of Hawaii and its people richly to life. Highly recommended.
July 5, 2021
There is much to love about The Aloha Spirit. A novel that spans the 1920s-1950s, it provides knowledge about the history of Hawaii beyond the common tourist-acquired facts and beautifully conveys Hawaiian culture, especially the meaning of the all-encompassing philosophy of the aloha spirit. We learn all of this through the eyes of young Dolores, who is left with a Hawaiian family after her mother’s death and her father’s departure to California to find work. This begins Dolores’s search for love, family, and a sense of belonging, a journey full of conflict as she marries, has children of her own, faces the terror of war after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and then struggles to do what’s best for herself and her family. While her marriage leads her to the large, loving, supportive Medeiros Rodrigues family, her husband’s drinking often ends in spousal abuse. Dolores is a strong woman, capable of caring for herself and her children no matter how hard she has to work, but she is also faced with cultural and religious beliefs that insist she must keep her marriage intact. Her struggle is not only believable for its time in history but is a universal and timeless one as well. Initially, I took my time reading, perhaps lulled by the gentle aloha spirit infused throughout this novel, but as I approached the second half, I couldn’t put it down. I highly recommend this historical novel.
March 30, 2023
4.5 Stars
Linda Ulleseit’s The Aloha Spirit tells a vividly descriptive story of family, set in mid-20th century Hawaii. Ulleseit immerses the reader in dynamic, multicultural diversity: Hawaiians, Hispanics, Portuguese, Japanese, and Europeans living in close neighborhoods filled with lush vegetation and ocean breezes. The essence of the book is ohana, the love of family that keeps them bound together by matriarchs who anchor their families, working hard to keep the aloha spirit alive--despite bad-behaved men.
At the story’s center is Dolores, whose father abandons her to the care of a large Hawaiian family when her mother dies. From the age of seven, Dolores becomes the family’s laundress to pay for her keep. With little margin for error, the matriarch keeps the family together and shows tough love for Dolores. Some years later, Dolores moves in with her recently married friend, Maria, to care for her children. At sixteen, Dolores marries a charming man--soon to reveal himself as an abusive alcoholic--and becomes part of his large Portuguese family, centered on another matriarch. Beyond the family, we see how the attack on Pearl Harbor affected not only the U.S. Navy, but also all of Honolulu. To escape WWII and her husband, Dolores travels with her children to San Jose on her path toward independence.
Plus: a Hawaiian glossary
Linda Ulleseit’s The Aloha Spirit tells a vividly descriptive story of family, set in mid-20th century Hawaii. Ulleseit immerses the reader in dynamic, multicultural diversity: Hawaiians, Hispanics, Portuguese, Japanese, and Europeans living in close neighborhoods filled with lush vegetation and ocean breezes. The essence of the book is ohana, the love of family that keeps them bound together by matriarchs who anchor their families, working hard to keep the aloha spirit alive--despite bad-behaved men.
At the story’s center is Dolores, whose father abandons her to the care of a large Hawaiian family when her mother dies. From the age of seven, Dolores becomes the family’s laundress to pay for her keep. With little margin for error, the matriarch keeps the family together and shows tough love for Dolores. Some years later, Dolores moves in with her recently married friend, Maria, to care for her children. At sixteen, Dolores marries a charming man--soon to reveal himself as an abusive alcoholic--and becomes part of his large Portuguese family, centered on another matriarch. Beyond the family, we see how the attack on Pearl Harbor affected not only the U.S. Navy, but also all of Honolulu. To escape WWII and her husband, Dolores travels with her children to San Jose on her path toward independence.
Plus: a Hawaiian glossary
March 21, 2021
“Aloha is the joyous sharing of life’s energy.”
At the young age of seven, Dolores is given away by her father to explore better opportunities in California. From the very beginning her inner strength is continuously put to the test. Along the way she learns how to navigate the world and learns that family can include just about anyone. At nineteen, Dolores is a mother of two who takes matters into her own hands and seeks a better life for her and her girls. One that is different than the abusive environment her husband has created.
This beautifully written story incorporates the evolving history of Hawaii which allows the reader to get a different perspective than the tourism one. This emotional story felt very raw and well researched. I enjoyed following Dolores over the years, through the choices she makes, understanding why she makes them and her overall growth into such a strong woman. She does all this for and in search of her own Aloha Spirit!
I promise you will be rooting for Dolores in her triumphs and your heart will break for her in the her difficult moments. This book will give you all the feelings and is a must read!!!!
*gifted copy for review*
At the young age of seven, Dolores is given away by her father to explore better opportunities in California. From the very beginning her inner strength is continuously put to the test. Along the way she learns how to navigate the world and learns that family can include just about anyone. At nineteen, Dolores is a mother of two who takes matters into her own hands and seeks a better life for her and her girls. One that is different than the abusive environment her husband has created.
This beautifully written story incorporates the evolving history of Hawaii which allows the reader to get a different perspective than the tourism one. This emotional story felt very raw and well researched. I enjoyed following Dolores over the years, through the choices she makes, understanding why she makes them and her overall growth into such a strong woman. She does all this for and in search of her own Aloha Spirit!
I promise you will be rooting for Dolores in her triumphs and your heart will break for her in the her difficult moments. This book will give you all the feelings and is a must read!!!!
*gifted copy for review*
January 2, 2021
I learned so much about Hawaiian history, culture and food through The Aloha Spirit. I also learned that aloha is more than a greeting: it is a way of life that embodies love and compassion for everyone. Set in the 1920s-50s period, Linda Ulleseit’s engaging historical novel chronicles the life of its protagonist, Dolores, and her quest for family and love. We follow our strong heroine as she navigates an oppressive childhood in a foster home, an abusive marriage, and a forbidden love-- until her escape to the mainland with her two young daughters after the Japanese attack of Pearl Harbor in 1941. The novel then moves to California where Dolores starts a new life for herself and her daughters. Life gets complicated once again when her husband and her true love follow her to the mainland. Will Dolores find lasting happiness? Well-researched and descriptive, Ulleseit’s novel transported me to Hawaii and California of the 1940s and kept me riveted as I rooted for its heroine who is resilient, graceful, and embodies the aloha spirit even in the most trying circumstances. A must-read!!
March 17, 2021
This novel opens with Dolores, a Portuguese seven-year-old whose father leaves her in Hawaii so that he can find work in California. The book then follows Dolores’s experience in Hawaii to her eventual home in Northern California, and spans the time period from 1922 to 1950. I was sucked in right away and felt I was right alongside Dolores as she loses her immediate family to California, becomes a part of others’ families in Hawaii, and eventually creates her own. The author did an incredible amount of research that was masterfully woven into the story—from covering the diverse population of Hawaii, the incredible descriptions of food, the landscape and way of life, and the bombing of Pearl Harbor. I also didn’t realize the true meaning of Aloha and what it encompasses.
This book combines strong women, the search for and meaning of family, and keeping “Aloha” in your heart. I highly recommend it!
This book combines strong women, the search for and meaning of family, and keeping “Aloha” in your heart. I highly recommend it!
May 9, 2021
This is a wonderful story to read. There are so many interesting characters introduced in the first chapter right away. The story does not go slow. You know right away that you are going to read about a lot of funny and dynamic interactions between these characters. Linda unpacks so many surprises for her readers such that you will never see Hawaii in the same way after you read her book. Linda includes in her book a glossary of Hawaii words that you can learn and see how these words become the center of the Hawaiian culture. She has done an excellent research on it. This story is not only fun to read , but it also talks about a lot of convictions that one must have in chasing after his/her dreams like passion, courage, and patience. I know you will enjoy reading this book for sure.
December 7, 2024
I so admire good historical fiction. I'm always impressed at the amount of work an author has to do to recreate a world from the past. The Aloha Spirit recreates the world of Hawaii in the years leading up to the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the beginning of WW2. Filled with lush descriptions of the landscape and of the diverse people who inhabit the islands, the story centers around a young girl named Delores who is left in Hawaii when her father moves to the mainland for work. She is left with a Hawaiian family and she works very hard. The story follows her as she moves from home to home, until she marries. Sadly her marriage falls apart under her husband's alcoholism. You will find yourself rooting for Delores and hoping that she finds her happily ever after. Recommended.
August 6, 2022
THE ALOHA SPIRIT by Linda Ulleseit brings to life the poignant, intimate reality of growing up in Hawaii 1922 through the bombing of Pearl Harbor, beginning with a child’s experience to adulthood, marriage and parenthood. While other books focus on the bombing itself, ALOHA SPIRIT is about multi-cultural family life and neighborhoods that experienced the time period as evidenced by the glossary in the back which includes common words from eight languages. I rarely give a 5 rating but having lived there several times and having taught school there, this story was a 5 for me. Always have family and aloha in your heart. (I also loved the book cover.)
February 24, 2021
The Aloha Spirit is more than just the title of this wonderful novel: it's the thread that holds together the main character, Dolores, and her family as she negotiates life in Hawaii and California in the years before and after World War II. Ulleseit has a gift for setting, and you know when you've left the island breezes behind to shiver in the fogs of San Francisco. This story, based on the author's family history, resonates with authentic historical detail and the ever-modern challenges that face all strong women.
April 3, 2023
THE ALOHA SPIRIT is our April North Wales Library Book Group choice and we will be Zooming with the author. So looking forward to that. I am giving the book 5 Stars and highly recommend it for all to read. It is the story of what it means to be a family. Family, love, friendship, Aloha spirit are the main themes running throughout. It also touches on what excess drinking can do to a person and the impact that it has on the family. I thoroughly enjoyed this story which took place in 1922 in Hawaii and ended in California in 1950.
November 17, 2021
The beautiful island state of Hawaii has a diverse mixture of people/cultures. It was interesting to look at life through the eyes of a young girl on into her adulthood. The books covers this history from the 1920s to the 1950s. Many heart-breaking and heart-warming moments throughout. Thanks to the author for providing a copy won in her contest. Not my typical genre, but I was drawn to the idea of the aloha spirit. Enjoyable reading.
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