KAHOʻOLAWE

The history of the smallest of Hawai‘i’s eight main islands—and the activists who worked tirelessly to safeguard it.

In an author’s note, Hurley explains that, like many Native Hawaiians, she was taught that Kahoʻolawe was merely a “barren rock.” Nothing could be further from the truth. Though Kahoʻolawe isn’t “as lush as the other Hawaiian islands,” wildlife thrives here, as did the Polynesian wayfinders who settled here years ago. But the arrival of newcomers who often brought with them invasive species—goats brought by Capt. George Vancouver in 1793, for instance—disrupted the environment. When World War II began, the U.S. military took over Kahoʻolawe for target practice; people were kept away. Hawaiian residents were told that the island was suitable only for military testing, but in the 1970s, activists started to advocate for its protection, guided by the principle of aloha ʻāina, or “deep love of the land.” In 1993, the state of Hawai‘i assumed control of the island. Hurley’s robust prose paints a vivid portrait, with each page ending in a brief statement from the island’s point of view. Sidebars offer more in-depth information about island ecology and history, while Orme’s energetic, painterly illustrations fill the page with strikingly rich textures. Together, text and art offer a powerful counternarrative to misconceptions about the island: “The people love Kahoʻolawe. And Kahoʻolawe loves the people.”

An incredible, brilliantly told story of persistence, advocacy, and love.