Read Your Way Through Hawaiian History Month

September signals the start of Hawaiian History Month, a very special time in our islands. Presented by Hawai‘i Pono‘ī Coalition and marking the 186th birthday of Queen Lili‘uokalani, Hawaiian History Month presents cultural, educational, and arts-based events for the local community.

To get the most out of Hawaiian History Month, we encourage you to seek out knowledge and stories in books. Whether browsing contemporary titles that cast an eye back in time or books featuring writing by Hawai‘i’s late monarchs, reading widely is one of the best ways to get a sense of Hawai‘i and its people, culture and history. Not sure where to start? Our booksellers at Da Shop: Books + Curiosities are here with their recommendations to add to your September TBR pile.

SEE ALSO: Honoring the Stories of Lahaina and Maui

Photo: Courtesy of Da Shop: Books + Curiosities

Reclaiming Kalākaua: Nineteenth-Century Perspectives on a Hawaiian Sovereignty

By Tiffany Lani Ing

Reclaiming Kalākaua is an expansive examination of local, national, and international representations of King David La‘amea Kalākaua, Hawai‘i’s “Merrie Monarch” and the penultimate monarch of the Kingdom of Hawai‘i. Shining light on the gross absence of Kānaka Maoli perspectives on the late mō‘ī in contemporary scholarship, Ing seeks to rectify this imbalance by presenting hundreds of mo‘olelo, mele, and articles sourced from Hawaiian-language newspapers in the 19th century to bring Hawaiian voices into the conversation and to reintroduce Kalākaua as an intelligent and effective leader.

Photo: Courtesy of Da Shop: Books + Curiosities

In Haste with Aloha: Letters and Diaries of Queen Emma, 1881–1885

Selected and edited by David W. Forbes

Many are familiar with Queen Emma as the founder of the Queen’s Medical Center and namesake of the Queen Emma Summer Palace, her beloved Nu‘uanu retreat. But in In Haste with Aloha, scholar David W. Forbes introduces another facet of Queen Emma, alighting on the last five years of her life through a collection of 90 letters and excerpts from diary entries. The book is not only an invaluable preservation of primary documents but also a fascinating depiction of late nineteenth-century Hawai‘i. In Haste with Aloha is required reading for anyone interested in the lives of Hawai‘i’s last monarchs in the years leading up to the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian kingdom.

Photo: Courtesy of Da Shop: Books + Curiosities

Facing the Spears of Change: The Life and Legacy of John Papa ‘Ī‘Ī

By Marie Alohalani Brown

Facing the Spears of Change traces the remarkable life of John Papa ‘Ī‘ī, tracing his days working as Kamehameha I’s attendant at age 10 to his service to four consecutive monarchs in roles of statesman and royal advisor. Highly intelligent and attuned to the changes of governance within the Hawaiian kingdom, ‘Ī‘ī earned the highest respect not only of his leaders but also of his fellow Hawaiians. In this pivotal work of biography and scholarship, Brown incorporates a wealth of archival research from Hawaiian and English language primary sources, making Facing the Spears of Change a revolutionary and phenomenal read.

Photo: Courtesy of Da Shop: Books + Curiosities

The Kingdom and the Republic: Sovereign Hawai‘i and the Early United States

By Noelani Arista

In this landmark work by Kanaka Maoli scholar Noelani Arista, readers experience the arrival and impact of American missionaries from a distinctly Hawaiian perspective. Unearthing a trove of primary sources in the form of Hawaiian language documents, Arista offers a vital corrective to the all-too-prevalent American origin story on Hawai‘i, which belies the violence of encounter and colonialism Hawaiians faced and continue to face today. In The Kingdom and the Republic, Arista evinces no Hawai‘i historical narrative is complete without the essential contribution of Hawaiian voices.

SEE ALSO: HONOLULU Book Awards

Da Shop: Books + Curiosities, 3565 Harding Ave., open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (808) 421-9460, dashophnl.com, @dashophnl