The Last Aloha - Paperback

by Gaellen Quinn (Author)

In 1886, following the tragic deaths of her father and her fiancé, Laura Jennings, alone in the world, travels to Hawaii to live with missionary relatives she's never met. Laura imagines she'll live in a grass hut and minister to savages, but on arriving in Honolulu, she's surprised to find that, far from being savages, the Hawaiians have developed a sophisticated and prosperous kingdom-and Laura's family is among the wealthy elite plotting to topple the throne. To avoid her conniving uncle's control, Laura goes to work for the royal family, little knowing that her destiny will become intertwined with those of great island sovereigns.

• Winner: BAIPA Award for Best Historical Fiction
• Winner: Ka Palapala Po okela Book Award
• Winner, Texas Writers' League Award for Historical Fiction

Front Jacket

How did Hawaii become part of America? This story, inspired by true events suppressed for nearly 100 years, is the one James Michener never wrote. In 1886, Laura Jennings travels to Hawaii to live with missionary relatives. She imagines she'll live in a grass hut, ministering to savages. When she arrives in Honolulu, she's surprised to find her relatives are among the wealthy elite plotting to overthrow the Hawaiian monarchy. And, far from being savages, the Hawaiians have developed a charming and prosperous Victorian kingdom. To avoid her conniving uncle's control, Laura leaves to work for the royal family and learns her family's prejudices against them are false. The last Queen, Lili-uokalani, wages a tragic struggle to save the Kingdom. Through choices she makes when every avenue is blocked, Laura sees the power that can restore the spirit of a people caught in a turbulent world and discovers how long-hidden secrets of her own family