Kuhina Nui [Paperback]

Rosemary I Patterson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 15, 1998

The scene is set as angry Hawaiian deities demand that Queen Ka'ahumanu, the widow of King Kamehameha of Hawaii explain her overthrow of the kapu or taboo system in 1819 that governed every aspect of the Hawaiian people's lives. This act opened the way for the westernization of Hawaii complete with the upheaval and culture clash between the new Euro-American, competitive wold view of the newcomers and the ancient, communal, co-operative, world view of native Hawaiians. By 1893 native Hawaiians had lost their land, their way of life, much of their world view and control of their country to newcomers from foreign lands.

In the novel Queen Ka'ahumanu is required to explain and justify her actions as Kuhina nui and Queen Regent from 1819 to 1832. She is also required to view modern day Hawaii and evaluate whether her political decisions resulted in benefit to or disaster for native Hawaiians in the long run. The result is an exciting adventure story that takes place in past and present day Hawaii.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Rosemary I. Patterson, Ph.D. is a retired school psychologist from the Lower Mainland area of Vancouver, B. C., Canada. Her interests include the ramifications of Ethnocentric Monoculturalism on Indigenous peoples. She became interested in Hawaiian history and its social problems after a visit to Oahu in 1988 in which she encountered homeless Hawaiians living in beach parks and Native Hawaiian groups advocating Soveignty for Hawaiians. After a thorough review of Hawaiian history, she concluded that the Enthnocentric Monoculturalism of Hawaii's Colonizers had resulted in unreconciled injustices that continue to plague native Hawaiians within their own country even today.

Product Details

• Paperback: 188 pages
• Publisher: Pine Island Press (April 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1880836211
• ISBN-13: 978-1880836217
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,713,951 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Born Vancouver, B.C. - Unusual childhood - Mother was Mentally Challenged, Father died during the war. As an only child I witnessed the unthinking behaviour of my mother's relatives towards her. Her relatives treated her as some kind of a joke and were always putting her down. The result of witnessing this treatment taught me a lot about discrimination. I pursued knowledge about mental illness when I was older eventually resulting in three University degrees including a Ph.D. from Simon Fraser Univ. and a career as a School Psychologist.

I started writing as an extension of Psychology and Education to raise awareness about various discrimination issues. I decided to write in a fictional format to reach readers about various social issues who normally did not read non-fiction. My first novel came out of my experience in my province's institution for the mentally challenged. The novel was called "Alias the Tank", the nickname for the Access Mobility Wheelchair System. A series of novels followed embedding the actual facts of the history of Hawaii from 1820 to 2000 into a five novel series to bring the actual facts alive such as the overthrow of Queen Liliuokalani in 1893.

Other novels about social issues have followed including one about nuclear testing on the Mururoa Atoll, aboriginal treatment in Australia, First Nations history in British Columbia, seniors issues, culture clash in Malaysia, capitalism without social responsibility in California, and recently the terrible treatment of Sikh, Chinese and Japanese immigrants in the logging industry in B. C. at the turn of the century.

My novel "Aloha and Mai Tais" about music and musicians in the 1930's received a five star review from Midwest Book Review and my screenplay "Journey Great Barrier Reef" was a winner in the 2003 Telluride Indiefest Screenplay contest.

Currently I do Vocational Assessment in my office in beautiful Qualicum Beach, B.C. and have branched into self-help writing with the publication of my book about 55 Plus Non-Retirement Retirement called "Way of the Supernova."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars A very biased look at the past, March 5, 2006

By 

M. Herr "an observer of history" (Walnut Creek, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Kuhina Nui (Paperback)

Ms. Patterson's very strong bias toward native peoples comes through loud and clear in this work. The Hawaiian homeland movement certainly has much to recommend itself, but those who would advocate for a return to the days of the monarchy certainly, and conveniently, leave aside the many bad aspects of those days. However, this work is unique in allowing the gods and godesses of old Hawai'i to act as characters. Whether or not they are portrayed accurately is another question.

3.0 out of 5 stars Great book for your next vacation in Hawaii, May 1, 2002

By 

Tracy Parent (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kuhina Nui (Paperback)

If you're planning a vacation in Hawaii, this historic novel is the perfect read while you're there. If you can get around the mediocre literary writing and editing, you can easily be transported back in time - literally time travel - with the help of several Hawaiin gods, Queen Ka'ahumanu, and a homeless lady from Waikiki Beach. The author very creatively weaves history, current socio-economic issues, and a sweet romance story together, keeping the reader engaged and wondering what happens next. It's a quick lesson on the "who's who" of Hawaiin Royalty during the reigns of Kamehameha I-IV (1800's). I especially enjoyed the use of Hawaiin words in context to give a more authentic flavor and appreciation for the local culture. This book taught me a lot more in 10 days about Hawaii than I would have otherwise learned from the mostly touristic resort destinations of the islands. And it left me hungry for more!