Hula by Jasmine Iolani hakes Review

An immersive, three-generation saga with a strong cultural heartbeat—high-impact and unapologetically human.

I found Hula absolutely unputdownable. While the opening chapters take their time to set the stage, the momentum builds into a powerful, immersive story that stays with you long after the final page.

Hula isn’t just a family saga; it’s the story of three generations of Hawaiian women intertwined with the community, culture, and the heavy legacy of colonialism they navigated. The background provided is comprehensive, creating a solid foundation that makes the characters’ journeys feel deeply rooted in their reality.

The characters in this novel are exceptionally well-drawn. I found myself in a constant tug-of-war with them; loving them one moment and hating them the next. They read like real, “flesh and blood” women, making them incredibly relatable even when their choices were difficult to swallow.

While the book touches on many interesting themes, the exploration of motherly love is what truly stayed with me. I loved how that love manifested differently across each generation:
– ​Hulali’s tough, uncompromising love.
-​ Laka’s irresolute and drifting love.
– ​Hi’i’s guarded, protective love.
Seeing the evolution of these dynamics was the highlight of the book for me.

There were moments where the historical segments felt a bit “chunky,” and the use of untranslated words occasionally interrupted the narrative flow. However, these felt like small trade-offs for the wealth of knowledge I gained about Hawaii’s true history and culture.

​It is important to note the controversy surrounding the authorship of this book. While Jasmine Iolani Hakes grew up in Hawaii, she is not documented as Native Hawaiian. This has sparked a necessary conversation about whether this story can truly be presented as “Own Voices.” As a reader, I found the history and culture fascinating, but I think it’s vital to acknowledge the concerns regarding cultural appropriation and the complexities of an author with a mixed, non-indigenous background writing such a specific ancestral narrative.

This is a bold, high-impact novel that manages to be both informative and deeply emotional. I’d definitely recommend Hula to anyone looking for a story with actual depth and a strong cultural heartbeat. However I’d also encourage readers to seek out and support Indigenous Hawaiian authors to get a full, lived-in perspective of the islands.