Apex Review Of Lehua (Gene Parola)

April 4, 2016 - PRLog -- Lehua, Ka'ao a ka Wahine: The Romance of an Hawaiian Girl
Gene Parola
Reviewed By Courtney Wells

Official Apex Reviews Rating:   5 Stars

When Queen Ka'ahumanu decrees the denial of the native Hawaiian religion, the ali'i (nobles) obey immediately and the kahuna (holy men) become criminals. This abrupt, devastating change forces 18-year-old Lehua to grow up fast, shouldering responsibility for her cherished culture, which is quickly crumbling down around her.

Exactly what difficulties does she face? White merchants and planters exploiting the land, destroying a once rich Hawaiian civilization; ignorant missionaries embracing the "White Man's Burden" and replacing the kapu of the kahuna with the 'fear of God', subsequently disrupting the spiritual, political, and agricultural lives of the Kanaka; and last but not least, the nobility struggling under increasing external pressure to find new ways of leading. As Lehua and her family struggle against the backdrop of a dying Polynesia, she plays a major role in the historical transition of her beloved land.

World history is replete with stories of various cultures and societies forced to surrender their identities in the face of invading, occupying forces - and Lehua is no exception. In stark, vivid detail, author Gene Parola highlights both the lush, long-forgotten history of the Hawaiian islands, as well as the tragic, avaricious events that caused it to become a distant memory. It's common in the white supremacist worldview to see other cultures as backwards, savage, or somehow lacking, but throughout the pages of Lehua, Parola demonstrates in commanding fashion just how false these assumptions often are. In displaying the richness of pre-Christian Hawaiian culture, Parola does a commendable job of opening the reader's eyes to the complex depths of a world untouched by modern civilization, while also laying a solid foundation for its ultimate transformation.

An insightful, highly recommended read.