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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
 Posted - 02/05/2007 : 11:28:13 AM
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Just finished reading: No Footprints in the Sand - A Memoir of Kalaupapa (Paperback)
by Henry Nalaielua, Sally-jo Bowman
This is by no means great literature, but it is a great story. It is the story of a Big Island man who was diagnosed with Hansen's disease at age 10 and subsequently ended up at Kalaupapa. His story is not as frightening as some others I have read about Kalaupapa, I think, because he suffered this sickness in the mid-20th century, when things were more (just barely) humane. However, his stories of two daughters who had to be taken from their mother and father shortly after birth still break your heart. The resilience of the human spirit amazes me, and Henry's story of that resilience will leave a good feeling in your heart. You will chuckle at his kolohe stories.
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Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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Sarah
`Olu`olu
571 Posts |
Posted - 02/06/2007 : 06:15:42 AM
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Aloha, Wanda,
Have you read the real story of Kaluaiko'olau, written by his wife Pi'ilani? It is truly moving. And her Hawaiian beautifully poetic as well. Her story was translated by Francis N. Frazier, eminent scholar, and the book contains both the Hawaiian and the English, along with some photos.
It seem it might be nearly out of print, but I found it here:
http://www.alibris.com/search/books/isbn/097032930X
The True Story of Kaluaikoolau: As Told by His Wife, Piilani
The story of Kaluaikoolau (or Koolau) is one of Kauai's great legends. In 1892, after learning that he and his young son had contracted leprosy, Koolau fled with his family deep into Kalalau Valley. In June 1893 Koolau shot and killed a sherif and two Provisional Government soldiers who had been sent to arrest him. He vowed never to be taken alive and became a powerful symbol of resistance for many Hawaiians in the years following the overthrow of Queen Liliuokalani.
The story of Koolau's last years, as narrated by his devoted wife, Piilani, was published in Hawaiian in 1906. In this volume, the Hawaiian text is preceded by an English translation that successfully retains the poetic imagery and figurative language of the original. Many writers have attempted to tell Koolau's story, but none have been able to match the simple grace and poignancy of Piilani's narrative. It is one of only a handful of historical accounts by a native Hawaiian.
aloha,
Sarah
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Edited by - Sarah on 02/06/2007 06:23:46 AM |
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