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Local: A Memoir
A powerful, lush memoir about a Hawaiian woman who ran away from paradise to discover who she is and where she belongs. Born and raised in Hawai‘i by a father whose ancestors are indigenous to the land and a mother from the American South, Jessica Machado wrestles with what it means to be “local.” Feeling separate from the history and tenets of Hawaiian culture that have been buried under the continental imports of malls and MTV, Jessica often sees her homeland reflected back to her from the tourist perspective―as an uncomplicated paradise. Her existence, however, feels far from that ideal. Balancing her parents’ divorce, an ailing mother, and growing anxiety, Jessica rebels. She moves to Los Angeles, convinced she’ll leave her complicated family behind and define herself. Instead, her isolation only becomes more severe, and her dying mother follows her to California. For Jessica, the only way to escape is a reckless downward spiral. Interwoven with a rich and nuanced exploration of Hawaiian history and traditions, Local is a personal and moving narrative about family, grief, and reconnecting to the land she tried to leave behind.
Audio CD
First published January 1, 2023
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About the author
Jessica Machado
1 book47 followersJessica Machado is an editor at NBC News. Previously, she was a staff editor at Vox, the Daily Dot, and Rolling Stone. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Cut, BuzzFeed, Vice, and Elle, among others. Born and raised in Hawai‘i, she currently lives in Brooklyn, New York. For more information, visit www.jessica-machado.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 219 reviews
December 8, 2022
not what I was expecting
Engagingly written, but despite how it was blurbed and advertised, Hawai’i and native Hawaiians are not the focus, they are really only a tangential backdrop for a rather ordinary coming of age story. I found it readable, but not compelling. I learned a little about Hawaiian stories, and they were nicely tied in with the author’s story, but only as context, never as substance.
Engagingly written, but despite how it was blurbed and advertised, Hawai’i and native Hawaiians are not the focus, they are really only a tangential backdrop for a rather ordinary coming of age story. I found it readable, but not compelling. I learned a little about Hawaiian stories, and they were nicely tied in with the author’s story, but only as context, never as substance.
December 29, 2022
I love a story about a cultural identity crisis! Unfortunately, this memoir fell short. I was expecting something completely different. Jessica is born and raised in Hawai’i, and is hapa haole, and moves away to the continent for college and the rest of her adulthood up to the present. Randomly interspersed with her life experiences are tidbits of Hawaiian history and culture in which she tries to connect with her experiences. It severely falls short. The blurbs about the history and culture almost seem to be from a completely different book. I really enjoyed those parts but to stick them in with her drunken tales of sex, partying, and car accidents, it felt like an insult to the culture. I could have done without her life story, to be honest. I didn’t see the point of it, literally having nothing to do with how she doesn’t feel “Hawaiian enough.” *rolls eyes* which is why I was interested in the book in the first place. I wished the epilogue was longer because she actually did talk about how she’s trying to connect to her culture. Anyways, I commend anyone who is so brutally honest with their life (and I could relate to a lot of what she had experienced and felt with her mother’s illness and death) but other than that, I couldn’t wait to finish it so I can move on.
December 2, 2022
Hawaii first, author second.
And I'm quite ok with those proportions.
The sections on the language, culture, history, and quite frankly brutalization of Hawaii were interesting, graceful, and informative:
"Aloha is a very real, very powerful thing—a force of love and gratitude you can feel in the breeze, in the ocean, and as you bite into laulau made by a friend. In fact, aloha ‘āina, or love of the land, is at the heart of sovereignty. Aloha ‘āina is what guided Pele, Hi‘iaka, and the many other akua and mortal Kānaka who did not just play nice and allow things to happen, who instead stood up for the land. Aloha should be reserved for what gives you sustenance, what grounds you, what provides you with connection and healing. Unlike what the tourist industry would have you believe, aloha should not be watered down to a pleasantry granted to anyone who stumbles upon cheery Natives. It should not be equated to a blanket niceness. Niceness isn’t an effective solution for when situations get complicated or when the sacred gets disrespected."
The rest of the book is a mix of her life growing up into an angsty, often inebriated young woman amid divorced parents, step parents, and step siblings. It often makes it hard to have empathy for her situation, due to her actions. Do I see the parallels drawn between her and the timing for the scattered information about Hawaii? Yes. Am I completely unsympathetic? No, we were all young and foolish at one point.
She also uses the book to talk about her family history, including a secret her mother kept until she passed away. This feels uncomfortable and intrusive, and makes me very sad for her mother in ways I doubt the author intended.
I'm wavering between 3 and 4 stars for this one, but that last part is deeply unsettling on so many levels...
And I'm quite ok with those proportions.
The sections on the language, culture, history, and quite frankly brutalization of Hawaii were interesting, graceful, and informative:
"Aloha is a very real, very powerful thing—a force of love and gratitude you can feel in the breeze, in the ocean, and as you bite into laulau made by a friend. In fact, aloha ‘āina, or love of the land, is at the heart of sovereignty. Aloha ‘āina is what guided Pele, Hi‘iaka, and the many other akua and mortal Kānaka who did not just play nice and allow things to happen, who instead stood up for the land. Aloha should be reserved for what gives you sustenance, what grounds you, what provides you with connection and healing. Unlike what the tourist industry would have you believe, aloha should not be watered down to a pleasantry granted to anyone who stumbles upon cheery Natives. It should not be equated to a blanket niceness. Niceness isn’t an effective solution for when situations get complicated or when the sacred gets disrespected."
The rest of the book is a mix of her life growing up into an angsty, often inebriated young woman amid divorced parents, step parents, and step siblings. It often makes it hard to have empathy for her situation, due to her actions. Do I see the parallels drawn between her and the timing for the scattered information about Hawaii? Yes. Am I completely unsympathetic? No, we were all young and foolish at one point.
She also uses the book to talk about her family history, including a secret her mother kept until she passed away. This feels uncomfortable and intrusive, and makes me very sad for her mother in ways I doubt the author intended.
I'm wavering between 3 and 4 stars for this one, but that last part is deeply unsettling on so many levels...
December 24, 2022
A fresh new voice who combines the issues of Kanaka Maoli with the oft-conflicting messages and feelings of growing up "local." A good book to educate on perspective. At times, it seemed to wander and the ending was abrupt, but she kept me coming back to the page to find out how she got where she is now.
December 20, 2022
The history and culture of Hawaii was interesting but the author’s autobiography dragged. The two just didn’t go together.
December 21, 2022
The history and crushing of both the land and culture were well done and engaging. The telling of her messy personal life is a necessity for the book to be a memoir, and I suppose it was the author's intent for it to be a reflection of that history and culture, but it became a sorrow of way more troubles than I needed. I would have preferred less of that detail followed by the absent story of her redemption. I sure hope she got sober.
May 21, 2023
Machado grew up local: born and raised in Hawaii by a mother from the mainland and a Portuguese-Hawaiian father, she was comfortable in her blended identity—not uncommon in Hawaii—but Hawaiian culture was not something that was overtly discussed or taught in schools. The victors write the history books, and in this case, it was likely white male Americans from the contiguous US writing about Hawaiian history.
I read this out of a curiosity about growing up in Hawaii—I know enough to know that it's not all surfing and aloha, that parts of Hawaii are very poor and that the university system is not particularly strong. Machado weaves a lot of history about Hawaii in (mostly things she learned later, learned and learned to appreciate), but this is as much an all-American coming-of-age book about family dysfunction as it is a book about growing up as a child of Hawaii.
Machado's mother fell ill when Machado was still quite young, and so much of the book floats in and out of Machado's mother's space as her mother is and isn't able to care for herself, to get out of bed, to reach her daughter. I admit that I found these sections difficult to read. I don't mean to criticise anyone involved (criticising people's actions is not what reading, or reviewing, memoir is for), but it's so clear that Machado as a writer can see her mother's isolation and sometimes desperation in a way that Machado as a young woman could not. I'm a different person than Machado, and I have a different relationship with my family, and I was considerably older than Machado when I lost a parent. I cannot make a comparison, but on the heels of a year when I thought about very little other than parental illness and loss, this was probably not the right book (or time to read this book) for me.
I read this out of a curiosity about growing up in Hawaii—I know enough to know that it's not all surfing and aloha, that parts of Hawaii are very poor and that the university system is not particularly strong. Machado weaves a lot of history about Hawaii in (mostly things she learned later, learned and learned to appreciate), but this is as much an all-American coming-of-age book about family dysfunction as it is a book about growing up as a child of Hawaii.
Machado's mother fell ill when Machado was still quite young, and so much of the book floats in and out of Machado's mother's space as her mother is and isn't able to care for herself, to get out of bed, to reach her daughter. I admit that I found these sections difficult to read. I don't mean to criticise anyone involved (criticising people's actions is not what reading, or reviewing, memoir is for), but it's so clear that Machado as a writer can see her mother's isolation and sometimes desperation in a way that Machado as a young woman could not. I'm a different person than Machado, and I have a different relationship with my family, and I was considerably older than Machado when I lost a parent. I cannot make a comparison, but on the heels of a year when I thought about very little other than parental illness and loss, this was probably not the right book (or time to read this book) for me.
February 22, 2023
I enjoyed the parts about the culture, traditions, and history of Hawaii. Didn't enjoy reading about her drunk nights and sexual partners. Maybe I'm just old, but I wanted to shake her and tell her to grow up.
December 24, 2022
I came upon this book because of the Amazon first reads program and was skeptical since their picks haven’t been great lately. I went to it with an open mind and was not disappointed. The topics of self discovery, familial relationships (even if it was complex), and friendships with Hawaiian history and mythology woven within made this a wonderful book to read.
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February 5, 2023"My parents wanted me to fit in with those who appeared “refined,” who could traverse the Western world with ease, who had a familiar set of Christian morals. Meanwhile, what was free and right in front of us went unexplored."
An easily accessible memoir about Jessica Machado’s experience growing up in Hawai‘i with an indigenous father and a mother from the American South. Dealing with themes such as trying to fit in, strained family relationships, grief and self-image whilst weaving in beautifully depicted Hawaiian tales, this makes for a good memoir.
This was a short memoir I had very high hopes for. While it didn’t really live up to my expectations (mostly my fault) I still enjoyed it. Machado’s stories were all very interesting, as well as the relationships shown. The Hawaiian stories that were sprinkled throughout the book were a nice element, and I found myself wishing for more of them. Overall, it was a good memoir, but not anything out of the ordinary.
Thank you, NetGalley and Little A for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
October 19, 2023
Very interesting memoir about growing up on Hawaii and the sensitivity of being a US island annexed on.
January 21, 2023
I love all the references she gives about her taste in music, she really had impeccable taste in it and I love how she shared all her concert trips and music taste.
Her life wasn't easy and she is determined to live happily even if that means moving to another place only to find that no matter where she goes she carries her story behind and she has to make new stories to move forward and creates new worlds.
Her life wasn't easy and she is determined to live happily even if that means moving to another place only to find that no matter where she goes she carries her story behind and she has to make new stories to move forward and creates new worlds.
March 28, 2023
Listening to this audiobook while strolling around Waikīkī has become a core memory for me❤️
January 7, 2023
As a haole who used to live on Oahu, I enjoyed the sections on Hawaiian history and on the authors experiences as a child. I did not enjoy the last quarter of the book, which focused more on her drinking problems and loss of her mother. I also get that the book just ended. Like the author was tired of writing and just stopped.
Read
March 2, 2023I love the warm winds and gorgeous smell of Hawaii. I was hoping for more of the indigenous perspective of history but what I got was a coming of age tale of drinking and partying. Nothing much of anything insightful for this reader.
May 8, 2023
This memoir was somehow both dry and disgusting. The author made learning about Hawaii tortuous, and learning about the authors life was uninteresting. She seems incredibly selfish, vapid, and genuinely a shitty person.
Would definitely not recommend.
Would definitely not recommend.
Read
June 25, 2023I liked the parts of the book about Hawaiian history but not the personal details of the author's love life.
June 13, 2023
This book was ok. Memoirs can be kind of hit or miss and this one was a miss.
I enjoyed the Hawaiian history that was sprinkled in throughout this book. It made me interested in learning more before I go there some day.
It's hard for me to relate to someone who grew up in Hawaii (aka PARADISE) and took it for granted - but I think that's a hard thing to admit so I appreciate her honesty.
I expected this book to have a redemption arc and it did not. The ending was abrupt and kind of disappointing. I wanted to hear about what she learned after therapy and after (presumably) addressing her troubling relationship with alcohol. I wanted to hear more about her current thoughts and reflections on her relationship with her mother now that she is older and a mother herself. I wanted to her about the cross-country move from LA to NYC.
Perhaps she was just trying to speak her truth on how she felt about these different life events at the time and not trying to make this into a story with a moral at the end - which is fine- but kind of lackluster. She led a pretty average life and took (arguably) the most interesting parts of her life for granted. It just didn't make a very compelling story. I became a lot more interested in the Hawaiian history than anything about her or her life.
I enjoyed the Hawaiian history that was sprinkled in throughout this book. It made me interested in learning more before I go there some day.
It's hard for me to relate to someone who grew up in Hawaii (aka PARADISE) and took it for granted - but I think that's a hard thing to admit so I appreciate her honesty.
I expected this book to have a redemption arc and it did not. The ending was abrupt and kind of disappointing. I wanted to hear about what she learned after therapy and after (presumably) addressing her troubling relationship with alcohol. I wanted to hear more about her current thoughts and reflections on her relationship with her mother now that she is older and a mother herself. I wanted to her about the cross-country move from LA to NYC.
Perhaps she was just trying to speak her truth on how she felt about these different life events at the time and not trying to make this into a story with a moral at the end - which is fine- but kind of lackluster. She led a pretty average life and took (arguably) the most interesting parts of her life for granted. It just didn't make a very compelling story. I became a lot more interested in the Hawaiian history than anything about her or her life.
October 1, 2023
The blurb says: "Interwoven with a rich and nuanced exploration of Hawaiian history and traditions, Local is a personal and moving narrative about family, grief, and reconnecting to the land she tried to leave behind."
I would say: "Briefly interrupted by generic tidbits of Hawai'ian history and traditions, Local is an uninteresting narrative about teenage rebellion, drunken parties, reckless driving and being judgemental, then going home to attend her mum's funeral, because that's what people generally do when a loved one passes away, not because of some reconnection with the land she left behind."
There were barely any insights to be gained here, either personal or cultural. I probably should have thought twice when I saw it was a memoir, but I was interested in learning about first-hand experience of Hawai'ian culture, so I thought I'd give it a try. My mistake.
I would say: "Briefly interrupted by generic tidbits of Hawai'ian history and traditions, Local is an uninteresting narrative about teenage rebellion, drunken parties, reckless driving and being judgemental, then going home to attend her mum's funeral, because that's what people generally do when a loved one passes away, not because of some reconnection with the land she left behind."
There were barely any insights to be gained here, either personal or cultural. I probably should have thought twice when I saw it was a memoir, but I was interested in learning about first-hand experience of Hawai'ian culture, so I thought I'd give it a try. My mistake.
February 3, 2023
I selected Local as my December Amazon First Read which I downloaded for free, and finished on January 30. I love its colorful cover. The overwhelming majority of the content of this book doesn't deal with either politics or Hawaiian culture. Actually, 95% of this book didn't interest me. As a result of Local's emphasis on personal events , I wasn't aware that Machado is currently an editor at NBC News until I saw her profile on Goodreads after I had finished reading the book.
Local has inspired me to read further about Kanaka culture. Kanaka are what Native Hawaiians call themselves. They distinguish themselves from people who came from the U.S. mainland or who are descended from U.S mainlanders. I have found books dealing with Kanaka philosophy that are available in libraries. I would like to investigate their approaches.
For my complete review on my blog see https://shomeretmasked.blogspot.com/2...
Local has inspired me to read further about Kanaka culture. Kanaka are what Native Hawaiians call themselves. They distinguish themselves from people who came from the U.S. mainland or who are descended from U.S mainlanders. I have found books dealing with Kanaka philosophy that are available in libraries. I would like to investigate their approaches.
For my complete review on my blog see https://shomeretmasked.blogspot.com/2...
September 27, 2025
3.75 on fable. a quick identity-based memoir (aka my favorite category of book). i learned a lot about hawaiian culture and history, or a lot compared to what i knew before which was basically nothing. talked a lot about mixed race/ethnic identity, and not belonging to one group or another despite being technically part of both. stirred something in my heart for sure but i still felt like i wanted more.
March 22, 2024
Reading Jessica Machado’s memoir of her upbringing in Hawaii was a deeply enriching experience.
Her narrative weaves together moments of poignancy and heartbreak, offering a profound glimpse into the ways of life on the islands.
As a lover of Hawaiian culture and history, I found myself drawn into her story, intrigued and somewhat in awe of the unique challenges and joys of being a true local.
Through her honest writing, Jessica not only shares her personal journey but also beautifully encapsulates the spirit and resilience of the Hawaiian people.
Thankyou to author Jessica Machado,
Her narrative weaves together moments of poignancy and heartbreak, offering a profound glimpse into the ways of life on the islands.
As a lover of Hawaiian culture and history, I found myself drawn into her story, intrigued and somewhat in awe of the unique challenges and joys of being a true local.
Through her honest writing, Jessica not only shares her personal journey but also beautifully encapsulates the spirit and resilience of the Hawaiian people.
Thankyou to author Jessica Machado,
February 1, 2023
this is a reconciliation between a woman and her land
This was a beautiful love letter to the land of Hawaii and it’s culture. You get Jessica’s story but also learn more about the culture and history of where she is from.
I recommend this to someone who want to know more about Hawaii or is in the mood for a memoir.
This was a beautiful love letter to the land of Hawaii and it’s culture. You get Jessica’s story but also learn more about the culture and history of where she is from.
I recommend this to someone who want to know more about Hawaii or is in the mood for a memoir.
February 6, 2023
I thought the writer did a fantastic job weaving Hawaiian traditions and culture through her story. Really well-done.
May 18, 2023
I like to read memoirs about the lives of people, finding their identity and reading how they lived their lives is so interesting. 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
June 6, 2023
Great read with @Joseph!
July 31, 2024
I never thought about having a conversation with my mom (Japanese, born and raised in Hawaii) on her thoughts of the islands' history.
I wish the author had spent less time on her misspent youth and more time on the redemptive part of her story. One can only assume she got sober given how much time she spent letting us know she had a problem with drinking.
I wish the author had spent less time on her misspent youth and more time on the redemptive part of her story. One can only assume she got sober given how much time she spent letting us know she had a problem with drinking.
January 23, 2023
Meh. I am not sure what my expectations were. Memoirs are tricky. This one was written, in my opinion, for the author, rather than the reader. Not sure why I kept going but I did.
January 8, 2023
Hard to follow
I was disappointed by the way the book rambled on without really making an enjoyable story. Too much folklore and not enough plot.
I was disappointed by the way the book rambled on without really making an enjoyable story. Too much folklore and not enough plot.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 219 reviews