Just got totally humbled when I received this blurb about my book today from a woman who’s on the editorial board of the magazine, The Nation:

From O.A. Bushnell’s 1956 “The Return of Lono”, about Captain Cook, to James Houston’s 2007 “Bird of Another Heaven”, about King Kalakaua, some of the best accounts of Hawaii’s past have come not from scholars, limited by both the gaps and the bias in the historical records, but from fiction writers, able to build on those records with acts of insight and imagination that bring them closer to the probable truths. Gaellen Quinn’s novel of Queen Lili’uokalani, “The Last Aloha”, is a book of this sort. In its pages you can see the Queen moving through her private as well as her political struggles much as she must have done in life. A vivid portrait not only of the Queen but of the confluence of forces that turned the island Kingdom into an appendage of the United States when it had barely come into its own, “The Last Aloha” is as empathetic and accurate a reconstruction of the downfall of the Hawaiian monarchy as it may be possible to get. Hawaiian readers, who already know so much of the Queen’s story, will be moved to see it once again so inexorably unfold. Other readers will have much to learn.

–Elinor Langer, author of “Famous are the Flowers: Hawaiian Resistance Then–And Now” Special Issue of The Nation, April 28, 2008

http://www.thenation.com/special-issue-hawaii

Some exciting news!

My book, “The Last Aloha,” won an award at the 2010 Ka Palapala Po’okela awards held April 30th at Bishop Museum in Honolulu. I hope to have pictures from the event up soon!

“The Last Aloha” ALSO recently won the Bay Area Independent Publishers Association “Best Book” award in historical fiction!

And, as I mentioned in a previous post, the book is a finalist in ForeWord Review’s  national “Book of the Year” award. Winners will be announced this month at Book Expo in New York City.

I am thrilled to be acknowledged!

Our island’s local paper, the Molokai Dispatch made mention of the above and I was pleased to share the page with Auntie Snookie, who was also honored in Honolulu for her book “Ho`okupu: An Offering of Literature by Native Hawaiian Women”.

Here we are:

You can get more details and read the original story here.

Great news!

The Last Aloha is a finalist in ForeWord Review’s “Book of the Year” Awards!

ForWord Review is a prestigious trade journal directed towards books published by independent publishers. Their Book of the Year Awards were established to bring increased attention to librarians and booksellers of the literary and graphic achievements of independent publishers and their authors. ForeWord is the only review trade journal devoted exclusively to books from independent houses.

You can see all the details about the awards here.

Click here and scroll down the page to see The Last Aloha!

I’m excited to be featured among all these great books!

Iolani Palace 1882

Few would consider travel to Europe without getting to know the history. But every year, millions go to Hawaii and never see past the sun, surf and natural beauty. Yet, the traveler who seeks a richer experience, through knowledge of the history of the first Polynesian discoverers of Hawaii and the charming kingdom they created, will not be disappointed.

Click the link to check out a recent article for www.TheSavvyExplorer.com about the rich history of Hawaii.

The Last Aloha gives us insight into a dark period in Hawaii’s history – one that travelers to the islands often know little about. By weaving a story around these historical events, Gaellen Quinn draws you in and makes you feel for the deposed royal family and its supporters. The book is by turns heartbreaking and uplifting, allowing us to admire the true Hawaiian spirit that survives even in the worst of circumstances.

Michael Tulipan, Editor, TheSavvyExplorer.com

WEB EXCLUSIVE BOOK REVIEW

The Last Aloha: A Perfect Beach Read
An Intriguing Look into Hawaii’s history
By Kira Taniguchi

The Last Aloha Cover

While you are soaking up the rays and sipping tropical beverages, why not catch up on a little bit of reading about Hawaii? Written by former Austin resident Gaellen Quinn, The Last Aloha explores the deep recesses of Hawaii’s history.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Hawaii’s statehood, and for the first time, you can relish in its full history from monarchy to annexation.

Inspired by true events, The Last Aloha is a historical novel that takes place in the 19th century. It details the final days of the monarchy and the Queen’s struggle to save her throne.

The novel follows Laura Jennings as she makes her way to Hawaii in 1886 in an attempt to minister to the savages. Instead, she finds a prosperous society on the brink of turmoil. Follow Jennings as a scheme by the missionary party to overthrow the Queen Lili`uokalani unfolds.

Quinn’s extensive research through original 19th and 20th century documents, conversations with the natives and visits to the original sites make her book more thorough than any other.

Quinn’s work with the Mona Foundation, which supports educational initiatives that raise the status of women and girls globally, has allowed her to work with such countries such as Brazil, Cambodia, India, Tanzania, Honduras, Panama and Haiti. She recently moved to Molokai, Hawaii from Austin.

In 2008, The Last Aloha was a Texas manuscript winner in historical fiction in the Texas Writers’ League contest. It was also a semifinalist in the Amazon.com/Penguin Books Novel Contest.

For more information about Quinn, where to purchase the book and upcoming events, please visit the website www.gaellenquinn.com.

(Above)
The cover of The Last Aloha written by author Gaellen Quinn.
Photo courtesy PR by the Book

NOTE: Austin Woman Magazine featured this review within a great article about traveling to wonderful Hawaii! Read the article here. You  can scroll to the bottom of the article to see their review of The Last Aloha there too.

I was asked to stop by KUT in Austin, TX to talk about my donation to the James Michener Center for Writers.

I was proud to release the last known footage of this well-known writer into the public domain. Michener was magnanimous in his writing style and against prejudice of any form. He is truly one of the greats. Sadly, he passed away before discovering the true history of Hawaii simply because he may not have had access to this suppressed history.

Listen to the KUT piece here, produced by Julie Moody. She and I posed for a photo just after the interview in the KUT studios.

Check out Brilliant Magazine’s Top 15 for June here.

Thank you for a wonderful homecoming in Austin, TX! Although I live on Molokai, HI now, Austin was home for a long time. Thank you all – every single one!

The event was packed and I was thrilled when I found out The Last Aloha SOLD OUT (time to order more, Borders!)!

Special thanks to KOOP’s Khotan Shahbazi-Harmon for hosting and the Island Rhythms Dance Troupe for a fantastic show.

Check out a few shots from the event. (Thanks Jane!)

I have a lot more and I’ll post them as soon as possible, but I’m getting ready for my next 2 events in Houston, TX today! Video from Austin coming soon too!

I gave a short talk about the history of Hawaii and the significance of this year in American history.

Khotan introduces the Island Rhythms Dance Troupe.

The Island Rhythms Dance Troupe made the event. They were wonderful! A BIG thank you to them!