With “Kaua’i Storm,” author and Honolulu-born Tori Eldridge takes a break from her successful Lily Wong series to bring readers a mystery-thriller set against the lush backdrop of rural Hawai’i.
Blending family drama, cultural tension, and a troubling disappearance, “Kaua’i Storm” delivers an immersive experience that is mildly challenging, yet deeply enthralling and worth the effort.
‘Aina Calls Her Home
Makalani Pahukula is a 28-year-old federal park ranger who returns to Kaua’i, Hawai’i. She has returned to “'aina” (the land) after many years, so she can celebrate her grandmother’s 85th birthday. Her return is full of mixed emotions. Pahukula recalls how, as a highly ambitious high-school graduate, she always felt like an outsider; she couldn’t wait to leave all the laid-back island energy behind her.Some of her ‘ohana (family) even agreed with the choice: “When she moved to the mainland, Aunty Kaulana had told her the island breathed a sigh of relief.” Yet as the familiar scents and sights of her home hit her full force, Pahukula finds herself tearing up at the idea of hugging every one of her family members.
But when she sets foot on the Pahukula homestead, Pahukula walks right into a beehive of family drama. She learns her 22-year-old cousin, Solomon, has gone missing. That’s not too unusual since Solomon has had bouts of depression and mild antisocial behavior since his knee injury ended his football-career prospects.
Vanishing for a while isn’t out of character for him, but 17-year-old Becky Muramoto is also missing. She’s a rebellious and somewhat wild girl who often hangs out with Solomon. Solomon’s reputation isn’t great, and many are wondering if he and the girl might be in serious trouble. When a body has been discovered in the area where they went missing, the stakes are raised significantly.
Pahukula has to tread several fine lines. Although she’s out of her jurisdiction, being a federal officer means she has certain professional obligations. But she also knows the escalating effects an official report can have on a young Hawaiian man. She’s also acutely aware of how she’s perceived as a member of the police force and an outsider overall.
Great Supporting Cast
Eldridge’s secondary characters are a wonderful mix of contrasts that go a long way in fleshing out the story’s immersive nature. Bickering aunties Kaulana and Maile, along with Uncle Eric, who “turned laziness into an art,” make regular appearances, adding a lot of charm and humor to their scenes.Tutu (Grandma), Mama, and Papa are varying degrees of quiet and honorable people, and the backbone of the Pahukula family. But socialite cousin Kay married a wealthy white man and wants to dissociate herself from her native Hawaiian background. She does everything she can to dissuade her daughter from her efforts to reconnect with their heritage.
Staying True to the Setting
Stories set in “alien” worlds, like most sci-fi novels, or unfamiliar earthly environments such as Hawai'i, have a conundrum to resolve. Do you spend time explaining the strange foods, plants, and words? Do you ignore the differences and keep everything as generic as possible? Or do you use the same words that someone who has lived and breathed Hawaiian air their whole lives would use and let the unfamiliar strangeness wash over the reader?Eldridge chooses the third option, and it decidedly works to its advantage. “Kaua’i Storm” doesn’t shy away from describing the scene with the actual terms: “a narrow road where tall clumps of pili grass pressed in from the berm. Monkeypod and kukui nut trees older than her parents entwined their branches overhead.” This choice is especially apparent with her use of the Hawaiian Pidgin language.
Almost universally used by native and local Hawaiians, Pidgin is a mix of English and the original Hawaiian language created by immigrants in colonial times: “People talking stink about Solomon all ovah town. Becky, too … When she nevah come home aftah school, James and Linda figured she was acting out. Dey get plenny mad when she nevah come home at all.”
Although Hawai’i is an American state, many mainlanders often forget that it’s very different, both in its environment and culture. By allowing the reader to openly swim in the waters of the islands, so to speak, Eldridge enables readers to experience a good thriller from the perspective of someone who knows the ‘aina very well. We’re richer for it.
