Song of the Exile

by Kiana Davenport

Book Overview

In this epic, original novel in which Hawaii's fierce, sweeping past springs to life, Kiana Davenport, author of the acclaimed Shark Dialogues, draws upon the remarkable stories of her people to create a timeless, passionate tale of love and survival, tragedy and triumph, survival and transcendence.

In spellbinding, sensual prose, Song of the Exile follows the fortunes of the Meahuna family--and the odyssey of one resilient...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0345434943
• ISBN13: 9780345434944
• Release Date: July 2000
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 0.81 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.5" x 8.1"

Customer Reviews

True to Life

I first became acquainted with Kiana Davenport's work with "Shark Dialouges". The writing and imagery took me back to in time to when I was a little girl, sitting in my grandmother's kitchen in Makakilo, listen to her and my aunties "talk story" as they cooked, laughed and remembered. I loved that book, but I have to say I loved "Song of the Exile" even more. Kiana has managed to do what I have never seen before and what I wish that I could do: present the Hawaiian experience to a mainstream audience not as the "aloha-sterotype" that many people have, but life as it really is, with all of its struggles and its everyday conversations and rhythms. I only wish that her work would receive the recognition that it deserves. It truly is "He wahî pa`akai" ("Just a packet of salt"), an old Hawaiian saying that proves that gifts made by the giver are the best ones of all.

Amazing!

I heard of this book from a friend living in Hawaii who highly recommended it. Although I rarely read fiction, this book left me breathless and wanting to read more of Davenport's work. Each sentence is so well crafted, I could not put the book down, and often dreampt of leaving work early to go home and race through it. As I was pulled into the lives of the characters, I found myself constantly amazed at Davenport's poetic prose. I am recommending this book to all my friends and family.

enthralling saga

I am not quite through this magnificent novel as I write this, and in fact am reluctant to reach the end, for it is a marvelous story, rich in imagery, vivid (very) in tales, and it reads like sensitive poetry. Any true fan of Hawaiiana should love this book.

Mesmerizing writing about music

Unlike many other readers, I am not reading this book because of any interest in Hawaii, or even in World War II. It was a Christmas gift to me from someone who heard the author on the radio, but hadn't read the book herself. When I first looked at it, I thought, "This is not something I want to read!" It is full of graphic violence and horror. However, as I read on, I was mesmerized by the writing itself. Because the book is too heavy for my daily commute, it's taking me a very long time to read, and I find that I'm actually trying to make it last longer. I've never come across any writing about music (and it's not just jazz) to compare with Davenport's. I would say to anyone who's afraid to read the book because of the terrible images of suffering: The writing is so beautiful and intense that reading it is a joyful experience in itself. (What's really depressing to me is something that's badly or slickly written.)