About the Book: Daughters of Fire is a gripping adventure of romance, intrigue, myth and murder set amid the cultural tensions of contemporary Hawaii. A visiting astronomer falls in love with a Hawaiian anthropologist who guides him into a Polynesian world of volcanoes, gods and revered ancestors. The lovers get caught up in murder and intrigue as developers and politicians try to conceal that a long-dormant volcano is rumbling back to life above the hotel-laden Kona coast. The anthropologist joins forces with an aging seer and a young activist, and these three Hawaiian women summon their deepest traditions to confront the latest, most extravagant resort as the eruption and the murder expose deep rifts in paradise. More than a decade in its research and writing, Tom Peek's mystical and provocative debut novel picks up Hawaii's story where James Michener left off. Daughters of Fire illuminates how the islands' transformation into a tourist mecca and developers gold mine sparked a Native Hawaiian movement to reclaim their culture, protect sacred land, and step into the future with wisdom and aloha.
About the Author: Tom Peek lived his early life on the Upper Mississippi on a backwaters island of Minnesota. After hitchhiking by boat through the South Seas, he settled on the island of Hawaii, where he’s lived for two decades. There, he has been a mountain and astronomy guide on Mauna Kea and an eruption ranger, firefighter, and exhibit writer on Kilauea, working closely with Hawaiian elders and cultural practitioners on both volcanoes. He lives with his wife, Catherine Robbins, in a rainforest cottage near Kilauea’s erupting summit.
About the Illustrator: John D. Dawson was raised in San Diego and now lives on the Big Island of Hawaii. From the age of three, he know that art was his calling. He graduated from the Art Center School, Los Angeles, now the Art Center College of Art and Design. Over the last twelve years he has illustrated US Postal Service stamps for its Nature in America series. He’s also done commissions for the National Park Service, United Nations, National Wildlife Federation, National Geographic Society, and Audubon Society.
About the Cover Artist: Herb Kawainui Kane, celebrated Hawaiian artist, historian, and author, cofounded the Polynesian Voyaging Society and designed the Hokulea voyaging canoe, contributing profoundly to the Hawaiian Renaissance movement. A graduate of the Art Institute of Chicago, Kane depicted Hawaiian historical scenes realistically, but when painting spiritual or mythological aspects of the culture-as in Pele, Goddess of Volanoes, the cover image of this book-his art was expressionistic, with bold brushwork and vivid colors.
My Thoughts About the Book: I enjoy a good storyteller and the act of storytelling. I come from a long line of storytellers. Native stories are some of my favorites. And after visiting the islands discovered that Hawaiian storytelling differs only in character and location only. There is a vast wealth of local oral traditions that still exist in the islands. Everywhere I went while exploring the magic of the islands there was always a story to be found. Most of the stories I heard and read while there seemed to incorporate themes of gods, legends, lovers, dance, arts, poetry and the connection to Earth, Sea, Sky, Spirits, and Aumakua (spirit guides in animal-kinolau-form).Tom Peek is a master of the art of storytelling in "Daughters of Fire." Tom Peek leads the reader in a page turning journey through Hawaii-nei in the protagonist's attempts to restore balance in her newly imbalanced world. ... events and subjects reflect both a ripe imagination and 2 degrees off kilter from reality in part of Hawaii nei - (today). What could happen if the West Side of the Big Island was covered in Lava all in the course of one evening? I found myself wondering could this really happen? The book draws the reader in, engrossing us with the adventures of the characters. No matter if you are familiar with Hawaii as a visitor, as a native, or only through chance acquaintance from the media, you will enjoy this wonderful story and take away a different experience. This book was well- crafted and would make a lovely gift for a special friend or loved one.
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