Community Relations
Help spread the Aloha Spirit in Washington State
MAWHCC Community Events
MAWHCC Community Book Club
The MAWHCC Book Club is open to the public, so anyone who is curious about or has affection for Hawaiian culture will find a home here.
In general, the reading selections are about Hawai'i or by Hawaiian authors. Many readers enjoy historical fiction, which is a relaxing and enjoyable way to soak up the essence of a culture while absorbing some of its origins and major influences. Some books may be of more general interest.
Books are selected by members and the club meets for an hour on the fourth Wednesday of the month at 7 pm PST.
The folks who make up the membership are the main draw. A microcosm of Hawaiian society, they are warm and interesting and fun to spend time with.
Our group discussion is virtual via Google Meet. An invitation will be sent to everyone in the book club mailing list. If you are interested in being a part of the club, just let us know at communityrelations@mawhcc.org. Meetings are open to non-members. If you have friends who might be interested, please share this information with them.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 2023 AT 7 PM PST
BOOK CLUB: Sharks in the Time of Saviors
By: Kawai Strong Washburn
Location: For a Google Meet invite contact Kahala Ringgold at communityrelations@mawhcc.org
In 1995 Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, on a rare family vacation, seven-year-old Nainoa Flores falls overboard a cruise ship into the Pacific Ocean. When a shiver of sharks appears in the water, everyone fears for the worst. But instead, Noa is gingerly delivered to his mother in the jaws of a shark, marking his story as the stuff of legends.
Nainoa’s family, struggling amidst the collapse of the sugarcane industry, hails his rescue as a sign of favor from ancient Hawaiian gods―a belief that appears validated after he exhibits puzzling new abilities. But as time passes, this supposed divine favor begins to drive the family apart: Nainoa, working now as a paramedic on the streets of Portland, struggles to fathom the full measure of his expanding abilities; further north in Washington, his older brother Dean hurtles into the world of elite college athletics, obsessed with wealth and fame; while in California, risk-obsessed younger sister Kaui navigates an unforgiving academic workload in an attempt to forge her independence from the family’s legacy.
When supernatural events revisit the Flores family in Hawai’i―with tragic consequences―they are all forced to reckon with the bonds of family, the meaning of heritage, and the cost of survival.
Past Events
Book Picks
March 2023 - Hawaii's Story, by Queen Lili'uokalani
February 2023 - Sweet Pies and Soldiers, by Sara Ackerman
January 2023 - Children of a Fireland, by Gary Pak
December 2022 - The Healers, by Kimo Armitage
October 2022 - This is Paradise, by Kristiana Kahakauwila
August 2022 - The Stone of Kannon, by O.A. Bushnell
July 2022 - All I Asking for Is My Body, by Milton Murayama
June 2022 - Kolea, By Russell Cahill
May 2022 - Behold the Many, by Lois-Ann Yamanaka
April 2022 - Bird of Another Heaven, by James D. Houston
March 2022 - Pukoko, by Wayne Moniz
February 2022 - Aloha Rodeo, by David Wolman and Julian Smith
January 2022 - Hawaiki Rising, by Sam Low