Love Finds You in Lahaina, Hawaii

by Bodie Thoene

In 1890, Lahaina is in the midst of unrest. Kaiulani, Crown Princess of the Kingdom of Hawaii, has recently become known throughout the world for her intelligence, beauty and determination to restore her nation?'s monarchy. When a Scottish missionary lands on the shores of Lahaina, he finds himself drawn into a revolt by those desirous of annexing the islands to the United States. Will he underestimate Kaiulani, the "barbarian princess" or can they work together to restore peace to this normally tranquil paradise?

Genres: Christian Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance, Fiction, Christian, Historical, Adult Fiction

355 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

BODIE AND BROCK THOENE (pronounced Tay-nee) have written over 45 works of historical fiction. These best sellers have sold more than 10 million copies and won eight ECPA Gold Medallion Awards.

Bodie began her writing career as a teen journalist for her local newspaper. Eventually her byline appeared in prestigious periodicals such as U.S. News and World Report, The American West, and The Saturday Evening Post. She also worked for John Wayne’s Batjac Productions (she’s best known as author of The Fall Guy) and ABC Circle Films as a writer and researcher. John Wayne described her as “a writer with talent that captures the people and the times!” She has degrees in journalism and communications.

Bodie and Brock have four grown children—Rachel, Jake Thoene, Luke Thoene, and Ellie—and five grandchildren. Their sons, Jake and Luke, are carrying on the Thoene family talent as the next generation of writers, and Luke produces the Thoene audiobooks.

Bodie and Brock divide their time between London and Nevada.

Reviews

[Deanne Patterson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Frankly I found this book boring! As much as I enjoy reading historical fiction this one just didn't do it for me!

[Loraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bodie Thoene is an author par excellence! I have read many of the historical fiction books she has co-authored with her husband Brock. Their research is always solid and their story lines are always compelling. If I could have given this book a higher than 5 score, I would have. With a double theme, the story revolves around Sandi's research of the last of the Hawaiian royalty through an interview with 101 year old Hannah the companion of Kaiulani the last royal princess and heir to the Hawaiian throne. The book flips back and forth between the present day story of Sandi's research, reading of all the historical documents Hannah has kept, and Sandi's compulsion to find out what happened to her missing POW husband; and the years Kaiulani and Hannah spent in England at school and their return to Hawaii during the revolution to bring down the monarchy. With a double surprise ending that is totally unexpected, if you like historical fiction and romance, this book has it all.

[Clare · Rating 4 out of 5]

Forth from her land to mine she goes,
The island maid, the island rose,
Light of heart and bright of face:
The daughter of a double race.

Her islands here, in Southern sun,
Shall mourn their Kaiulani gone,
And I, in her dear banyan shade,
Look vainly for my little maid.

But our Scots islands far away
Shall glitter with unwonted day,
And cast for once their tempests by
To smile in Kaiulani's eye.

- Robert Louis Stevenson written to Princess Kaiulani to mark her journey to Britain.

Love finds you in Lahaina, Hawaii is a dual story. Set in 1973, Sandi Smith is a researcher sent to Hawaii to record and uncover local oral history. Sandi is also worried about news of her husband John, a POW still missing in Vietnam. She is welcomed to Lahaina, Maui, and the scenes set with the locals could only have been written by someone who knows and loves Hawaii’s unique hospitality rules. The immediate intimacy, the lack of privacy, cheerful friendliness and oh, the smell of flowers carried by the warm wind made me instantly homesick for Hawaii. Sandi is sent to speak with Auntie Hannah, who was the companion of Princess Kaiulani.

Here’s where it gets interesting for me. Princess Kaiulani was the next royal in line for the Hawaiian monarchy when it was overthrown by American business interests in 1893. Yes, you heard me. The American government allowed the house arrest of a Hawaiian queen, Kaiulani’s aunt, Queen Liliuokalani. All children in Hawaii learn about Princess Kaiulani, but this was a deeper look into her life while she was abroad.

Kaiulani’s father, Scotsman Archibald Scott Cleghorn married Princess Likelike, the sister of King David Kalâkaua and Princess Lili'uokalani. Princess Ka'iulani (pronounced kah-ee-oo-lah-knee) was sent away to Britain partly to groom her for the monarchy, and likely to protect her from the violence starting to erupt against native Hawaiians.

Kaiulani first meets aspiring journalist Andrew Adams aboard the ship taking them to England, where he mistakes her for her companion Hannah Duncan. Unknowingly, Andrew refers to Kaiulani as the “barbarian princess” and to pass the voyage and for petty revenge, she and Hannah trade roles for the journey. Andrew is humiliated and angry when he discovers their deception. Kaiulani doesn’t expect to see him again but their paths cross many times in England.

Kaiulani grows into a regal, often haughty princess, turning down the multiple offers of marriage because she knows that she cannot marry for love, but must most likely make a marriage of state to secure Hawaii’s interests. Kaiulani is a curiosity to the British who are fascinated by her dark skin and mysterious beauty and yet refer to her as a savage. (I imagine she experienced a little of what Pocahontas might have encountered.) But Kaiulani is NOT a barbarian, in fact she’s deeply religious, having been raised as a Christian from birth. Many Hawaiians, who struggled when missionaries led the ban on the hula and native dress, nevertheless embraced Christianity and were happily Christian living under a Hawaiian monarch.

Kaiulani and Andrew meet again at a religious revival in England. Funnily enough, Hannah again posed as Kaiulani, so Kaiulani could attend the revival. Andrew and Kaiulani renew their friendship and are separated once again, and know they cannot marry. Andrew covers the chaos of Hawaii following the death of King David Kalakaua and the forced abdication of Queen Liliuokalani. Kaiulani embarks on a PR campaign to win the hearts of the American people, but was ridiculed and mocked by the American press. You know by now that Hawaii was annexed to the United States and is the 50th state, so Kaiulani’s efforts were in vain.

Ka'iulani had returned to Honolulu later, at age 23, a deposed princess. It was said she died of a broken heart, though typhoid was blamed as the cause.

This book really is Kailuani’s story, but the character of Sandi Smith allows the story to unfold in a way that makes sense given the style of the book. Sandi did not seem to me to be a fully-fleshed out character, but how can anyone hold a candle to the vibrant personality of a real Hawaiian princess?

My primary concern about the romance between Kaiulani and Andrew is a nit-picky one, as Kaiulani was only 13 when she left Hawaii for England.

I won’t ruin the love story for you, but it is a tender one. I will also share that both Kaiulani and Sandi Smith find love, or love finds them in Lahaina.

There is an entire series of books that start with "Love Finds You in ---, ---." I can't wait to read whatever book is also set in Minnesota.

[Heather B Blair · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story of Princess Kaiulani of Hawaii. Someone gave me this book a while ago and it has been sitting by my bed for months.....and now I know why. Besides being extremely cheesy it is not even historically accurate!
Argghhhh!

[Olivia Jarmusch · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was actually really cute! It was a bit slow in some parts, but I absolutely adored the ending! <3 The writing style was beautiful, the story well-crafted, and I loved the fact that the characters encourage each other with scripture verses, take time to pray, seek God, etc...something that I feel is lacking in a lot of Christian fiction! This was a really sweet, easygoing read, but also encouraging and glorifying Jesus, which is the end goal! I would totally read more from this author.

[Beverly Frisby · Rating 5 out of 5]

My husband and I spent a wonderful 10 days in Hawaii during January of 2009 and the memories of the beauty of the land, and the history of the Hawaiian people is still very vivid to me. I believe seeing the cover of “Love Finds You In Lahaina, Hawaii” drew me to the book more than anything. I had not read anything prior of Bodie Thoene, so I couldn’t say it was the author’s name. We spent a large amount of our vacation in Lahaina, but it was the cover art that completely captured my attention and drew me to first pick up the book. I’m very glad that I did.

The intensity and the heart gripping emotion of this story moved me so deeply. Mrs. Thoene grasped the beauty of Hawaii perfectly with vividly painted word illustrations. The author breathed life into the characters that lived over a hundred years ago. They do not seem to just be players in a story written to amuse, but it is as though you can see them moving, hearing them speaking, laughing, crying. It is the author’s ability to develop characters with such depth to them that the reader is able to come away with a sense of living in the moment with them, of being a part of history.

It is presented here in a dual story--two storylines at once of loyalty and love that are stronger even than death.
First, Lahaina, Island of Maui, State of Hawaii, being on March 1, 1973. This is when we meet Sandi, a married woman who has been waiting for four-and-a-half years to find out if her MIA husband, John, a ground soldier in View Nam, was still alive. Sandi is traveling to Hawaii as part of the UCLA History Department’s “Fifty States History Project” for her master’s degree. She was going to Lahaina to interview the oldest woman in Hawaii, Auntie Hannah.

The second time line begins in the Royal Kingdom of Hawaii, 1889, where we meet Princess Kaiulani and her best friend, Hannah. Together Kaiulani and Hannah go through many trials and uncertainties. As they do, they learn to hold fast to their faith unwaveringly. The young Hawaiian princess' life was so poignant it cannot fail to touch the heart of the reader.

By the end of the book, the reader will come away with a greater understanding not only of Hawaiian history, but also of our own human nature. “Love Finds You In Lahaina, Hawaii” is a breathtakingly beautiful store of how faith and love can overcome the pain in your own heart if you allow God to do so.

You can read more about the author, Bodie Thoene, by visiting her website, http://www.thoenebooks.com/.

[Tiffani · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought the writing, message, themes, etc. were beautiful! I love Bodie Thoene's writing style--she writes so well. My only critique is the title. I was hesitant to read it just because of the title. It sounded like a fluffy romance novel, but it most definitely isn't fluffy and just about romance. It explores different ways to love--sisterly love, love of God, love of country, and differences between love and lust. It's historical fiction and jumps between the 1800s and 1970s as a woman named Sandi discovers the history of the fall of the monarchy in Hawaii from an old woman called Auntie Hannah. It made me want to go research Princess Kaiulani, the last Princess of Hawaii. Thoene also includes references to the bible, poetry, plays, and lyrics which add depth and meaning. Wonderfully written, beautifully paralleled, masterfully built. I highly recommend it.

[Jessalyn Plant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pleasantly surprised that the vast majority of this plot had nothing to do with romance! I really enjoyed the setting and story telling of the ending of the Hawaiian monarchy.

I recently travelled there for my honeymoon and became fascinated with the ridiculous and unfair hostile takeover by the US. Yeah, they 100% overstepped.

A great companion book to this piece is the book "Captive Paradise" by James L. Haley, which is a nonfiction deep dive into the history of Hawaii. Reading Bodie's book afterwards brought several of the important historical figures I had read about to life.

As for this book itself, it is not my all time favorite book of Thoene's, but it is better than I expected considering it is a standalone and the author thrives on longstanding series with lengthy plots and character development.

Altogether a pretty good read!

[Readnponder · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have enjoyed many books by Bodie Thoene over the years. This one was a disappointment. A fictionalized account of the last years of the Hawaiian monarchy before America took it over as a territory.

It followed the typical romance formula: two young men, one traditional and one naughty and dashing, which will she choose.

This is part of a larger series: "Love finds you in ..." Fill in the name of each of the 50 states. I will not be reading any of the other 49 books.

[A.J. Llewellyn]

Poorly researched and deeply offensive. This author invents stuff when the truth is far more spellbinding. She also wants us to believe that young Princess Kaiulani had a torrid shipboard romance en route to her school in England from Hawaii. She was 12 at the time.
I highly doubt it.
So Theone does what no author should do - she changes the age of a real person to accommodate her dopey romance. Lame!

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a departure from Bodie's regular works but it still was a very lovely story. It has been a source of mild irritation for me that Hawaii got swallowed up by the United States but I'll try to forgive them for that. Lol! It was a pleasure to read about Princess Kaiulani and her best friend Hannah. The romance in this book is gentle and mild which makes for pleasant reading.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

More like 3.5 stars...


This "love finds you" title started out pretty slow, so I set it down for several days. It started picking up pace about a third of the way through the book so I kept reading. The more I read, the more I enjoyed it. There were two men trying to win the Princess's heart, which always makes for an interesting story. The fall of her kingdom was disheartening, but historically accurate. She loved her people and wanted to serve them, but the corrupted descendants of former missionaries had decided they wanted to own Hawaii and that wouldn't happen unless the kingdom fell.

There were some nice surprises in this novel. I enjoyed the Princess's free spirit and her torn heart when it came to duty versus her personal life, but duty always won out. The hero was pretty heroic and the one guy I thought was decent turned out to be a scary man. Nice plot twist there. Guess you never really know who to trust if you are royal. That has to be a hard life.

The modern day (if you call 1973 modern) part of the story was heartbreaking, yet beautiful as well. I couldn't imagine waiting five years with my husband "missing in action" to find out if he was alive or dead. Life should go on, or shouldn't it? The guilt the heroine felt at enjoying her life was believable, as was her grieving. I loved this subplot because of how she had to deal with her growing affection for the Hawaiian man. Again, another plot twist at the end of this tale, too.

Overall this was a decent read. Once I got a third of the way through the story I read until I finished the book. There are a lot of historical details in this book - about Hawaii and about Victorian England, because the Princess attends school there for several years. There was a portion of the story when the characters went to see a famous evangelist who traveled England preaching. That scene was believable, too.

This was a heartwarming romance that was heavier on the history and culture than the actual romance, but it was still satisfying enough to make me smile. If you love history, you'll love this story.

[Cassandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have not read any of the "Love Finds You..." books but this was on the New Book Shelf at the library and was written by a Thoene. I love the Thoene's works and have read almost all of them.

3.5 stars - I don't know much about Princess Kaiulani but I've seen her name pop up a few times recently. I believe they are releasing a movie about her as well. As usual, the author excels at the attention to detail and setting. Reading any of the Thoene's books, I feel like I am there, watching from the sidelines.

I am unsure of the historical accuracy of this book and cannot comment on that aspect. The ending was a nice twist, unexpected until I was almost finished. The obligatory conversion scene was glossed over and a bit unbelievable. Both of the main characters found God at a revival meeting and their attitude was a complete 180. One day they didn't care about God beyond a vague understanding and the next day they were on fire for their faith.

Overall, it was a worthwhile read just to pique my interest into another sliver of history. Now to find a really good biography or history book covering this time period... if anyone reading this has any suggestions, I'd appreciate it!

[Pamela Hubbard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love Bodie Thoene's books. With each one that I read, I fall more in love with the characters an the storyline! It also helped that this book was partially set in one of my favourite places...Hawaii! The story is set in two time periods. First, in 1973, Sandi is working on her graduate degree at UCLA and her assignment is to research the history of Hawaii. She finds herself in Lahaina, talking to the oldest woman in Hawaii. Sandi is also dealing with the fact that it has been 4.5 years since she has heard any news about her husband, a soldier in Viet Nam.
The second part of the story flows from Sandi's research. The old Hawaiian woman, Auntie Hannah, gives Sandi a collection of letters and memorabilia and tells Sandi her incredible story. So, we are transported back to the late 19th century as Princess Kaiulani and her friends travel to England during a hostile period of Hawaiian history.
The history was brilliantly woven in with the characters and setting and I was riveted from page one of this book. My only complaint is that the book seemed to end very suddenly (maybe it was because I didn't want it to end).

[Rachelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Love Finds You in Lahaina, Hawaii" i's a two-fold story, full of friendship, faith in God, loss, and second chances, set in Hawaii and England. There are two entwined stories following widowed graduate student Sandi Smith in 1973; and Hawaii's royal heir Princess Kaiulani from 1889-1897. Note: Thoene plays around with Kaiulani's age, and weaves a wistful romance and happy ending for her.

[Michelle Wegner · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've read tons of Bodie Thoene's books, and have whipped through each series, hardly being able to wait to read the next one. This one, however, was a disappointment. I felt the story was very disjointed and the romantic story lines forced.

I did, however enjoy reading about Hawaii, and this book made me want to dive more deeply into its true history.

[Darlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love Bodie's writing. When you think there is no way she can wrap things up, she does and everything comes together perfectly. There is the perfect amount of romance without a bunch of mush.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's not often that a book leaves me so moved as to become completely incapable of figuring out what to say for the review, but this book definitely did that for me.
The 19th century historical timeline was definitely my favourite. Knowing that Ka'iulani and her sister Annie, as well as Andrew Adams, and Clive Davies (and others mentioned in the text) were actual people helped me really dive into the story (as well as constantly looking up the actual historical information online). I loved seeing how Ka'iulani grew from a rather silly girl, to a young woman who was determined to be a blessing to her people, despite the absolutely heartbreaking situation that the Kingdom of Hawai'i was in. (Also note that, even if it wasn't the author's intention to do so, this left an even more bitter taste in my mouth for the concept of colonisation and 'white saviourism'.)
I understand that the 1973 timeline needed to happen to tie things together with the story, but I found myself reading through those parts quickly so I could get back to the real 'meat' of the story.
Without giving away any spoilers, and though I did figure out what the twist would be earlier on in the book, the closing scenes in the 1800s timeline absolutely wrecked me in the best possible way. What a beautiful example of following what God has ordained for your life!
This was my first book by Bodie Thoene, but definitely not my last!

[Monica M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book when we took a trip to Maui. It took me a few attempts of picking it up and putting it down again to complete it. It was good but not great.
First- I absolutely loved how Bodie always brought it back to the Lord.
But I felt the story would drag then speed up so fast, I was certain I had to miss something. A detail that was very important in the character development just appeared but was at the same time worded as if it was written.
I did enjoy the last half of the book.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was disappointed in this author. I read this author about 20 years ago with several series she did and really enjoyed them, but I did not get this book. It was confusing and seemed kind of pointless. I did understand that Hawaii is being taken over by the United States and the Hawaiians were not happy about it, that’s about all I got out of it so enjoy it. I hope so.

[Samantha Cornwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, it did start out a little on the slow side, but I'm so glad I read it through!! It was a marvelous story! And has me wanting to research the history of Hawaii... Not thinking any of her characters were real, but because I know there is a history there with Hawaii not becoming a state until the 1950s.

Such a story of love, friendship and loyalty!

[Heather Painter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful Story!

Bodie and Brock Thoene are two of my favorite authors, and this book did not disappoint. With exotic settings and an interesting story line (based on the actual history of Princess Victoria Kaiulani), it was a great read from the beginning to the end. A+!

[Faith Cruz]

I picked this up because of the recent fires in Lahaina - and because I want to understand more of the history there. This book helped me understand the sad history of the US acquiring the Hawaiian Islands - but in an easy-to-read novel.

[Cheryl · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am a huge Thoene fan, but this one fell a little flat...

[Bonnie Olive · Rating 4 out of 5]

a wonderful book on the history of Hawaii

[Candelaria Curiel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just couldn't get into it!

[Jeanne Modisett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the book

[Maureen Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very uneventful beginning turns into a very riveting, emotionally charged unexpected ending. I didn't just cry - I sobbed. Very moving. A story of great devotion and faith.

[Patti R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great novel by Bodie Thoene

[Laurie DelaCruz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very sweet and gentle book about one of my favorite places, Hawaii. I loved the history, and the focus on one of Hawaii's royal princesses.