Title: Song of the Exile
Author: Kiana Davenport
First published January 1, 1999
384 pages, Paperback
ISBN: 9780345434944 (ISBN10: 0345434943)
Rating: 4.05
Overview
Kiana Davenport’s Song of the Exile is an unforgettable journey into the heart of Hawaii’s history, where the Meahuna family’s struggles and triumphs are brought to life. With vivid, captivating prose, this epic novel explores the themes of love, survival, tragedy, and transcendence.
Follow the journey of one man as he searches for his soulmate through the turmoil of World War II and Hawaii’s tumultuous journey to statehood. Set against the backdrop of Hawaii’s stunning natural beauty, this story is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the enduring power of love.
With a cast of unforgettable characters, Song of the Exile is a true masterpiece of storytelling that will stay with you long after you’ve turned the last page.
About the Author
Kiana Davenport has a rich heritage, with a Native Hawaiian mother and a father from Talladega, Alabama. Her father, Braxton Bragg Davenport, was stationed at Pearl Harbor with the U.S. Navy when he met and fell in love with Kiana’s mother, Emma Kealoha Awaawa Kanoho Houghtailing.
Kiana’s ancestry on her mother’s side can be traced back to the first Polynesian settlers who came to the Hawaiian Islands from Tahiti and the Tuamotu’s nearly two thousand years ago. On her father’s side, she can trace her roots to John Davenport, the puritan clergyman who helped establish the American colony of New Haven, Connecticut in 1638.
Kiana is a successful author, having written several best-selling novels including SHARK DIALOGUES, SONG OF THE EXILE, HOUSE OF MANY GODS, THE SPY LOVER, and her newest work, THE SOUL AJAR, which is now available in paperback and on Kindle.
Editoral Review
Song of the Exile Book Review
Kiana Davenport’s Song of the Exile is a striking immigrant saga and family drama that explores the intergenerational conflict between Hawaiians and Japanese, focusing on the struggles of women to reconcile their cultural traditions with their personal desires. First published in 1999, this critically acclaimed novel is a powerful and poignant exploration of identity, loss, love, and redemption, set against the backdrop of Waikiki and Honolulu, from the 1950s to the 1990s.
Davenport is a talented and versatile writer, known for her evocative and lyrical prose style, her sensitivity to historical and cultural nuances, and her complex and multidimensional characters. Song of the Exile exemplifies these qualities, presenting a rich and immersive reading experience that transports us to the magical and tumultuous world of Hawaii, where the sun, surf, and palm trees, coexist with the political upheavals, social tensions, and personal conflicts of its inhabitants.
The novel tells the story of Ruth Yoshioka, a half-Japanese, half-Hawaiian woman who grows up torn between the demands of her two cultures and her mother’s bitter legacy of suffering and resentment. Ruth’s mother, Nagiko, was a survivor of the Hiroshima bombing, who was pressured into marrying a Hawaiian soldier during the war and forced to leave her family and homeland in Japan.
Ruth’s father, Akira, is a brilliant but troubled artist who shares Nagiko’s sense of alienation and dislocation, and who becomes a recurrent source of tension and inspiration for his daughter. As Ruth grows up, she struggles to find her own identity and voice, defying her mother’s expectations and society’s prejudices, and pursuing her passion for music and the violin.
Along the way, she falls in love with two men, both of whom represent different facets of her heritage and aspirations, and both of whom challenge her to confront her fears and doubts. Michael, a charismatic and adventurous surfer, is her first love and her connection to the Hawaiian way of life, but also a reminder of her mother’s trauma and her own insecurities.
Sonny, a sensitive and introspective painter, is her soulmate and her link to the Japanese aesthetic and philosophy, but also a catalyst for her rebellion and her quest for authenticity. The novel progresses through a series of flashbacks and flash-forwards, exploring the lives of Ruth’s parents and relatives, as well as the broader history of Hawaii and Japan, and their complex and often troubled relations with each other and with the United States.
We witness Nagiko’s traumatic experiences in Hiroshima, her reluctant marriage to a Hawaiian soldier, her painful adjustment to a new culture and language, and her conflicting feelings towards her daughter and her own heritage. We also see Akira’s struggles with his art, his relationships, and his health, as well as his role as a mentor and friend to Ruth.
Through their experiences, Davenport illuminates the themes of identity, belonging, displacement, and reconciliation, as well as the struggles of immigrants to find their place in a changing society and to honor their traditions without sacrificing their dreams. She also exposes the prejudices and injustices of racism, sexism, and imperialism, and the importance of empathy, understanding, and forgiveness.
Overall, Song of the Exile is a masterful and moving novel that captures the beauty and complexity of Hawaii and its people, and that resonates with readers of all backgrounds and generations. Davenport’s writing is rich and vivid, her characters are engaging and memorable, and her themes are universal and timeless.
The novel is a must-read for anyone who is interested in the immigrant experience, the history of Hawaii and Japan, or the human condition in general. However, the novel may be challenging for readers who are not familiar with Hawaiian or Japanese culture or language, as some of the words and phrases are not translated or defined.
Also, some readers may find the novel’s structure and pace uneven or disjointed, as the narrative jumps back and forth in time and between different characters, and some of the subplots are not fully resolved. Nevertheless, these minor flaws do not detract from the overall impact and beauty of the novel, which deserves a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars.
The novel is a must-read for fans of literary fiction, family sagas, and cultural exploration, and for anyone who wants to experience the magic and diversity of Hawaii and its people.
