Plight in the Pacific: A Story from the Era of the Republic of Hawaii

Plight in the Pacific: A Story from the Era of the Republic of Hawaii is a third-person narrative novel that takes place on the Hawaiian Islands in 1895.  Two Native Hawaiians, Elizabeth P. Naukana and Makoa Kalili, head to Honolulu after a Hawai'i Island sugar baron, George Hodgson, seizes the land of Elizabeth's family by force.  Hodgson, upon finding out about the two and their purpose, tries to stop them with enforcers from his remorseless plantation police.  Elizabeth and Makoa must dodge Hodgson's men and beware of who they can trust as they travel the islands and Honolulu while facing an uncertain future.

The documented histories of Hawai'i and the US during the 19th century heavily influence this story through the contexts, cultures, and attitudes present.  For example, Hodgson is a descendant of New England missionaries and despises native practices such as the Hula because they are "barbaric."  Tied with the above, I wrote this story to combine both my knowledge of Hawaiian history and my ability to write fictional stories.  I also want my readers to be able to see themselves in history and learn about its paradigms, such as how people become products of their circumstances.