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Hawaii's Story by Hawaii's Queen

Liliuokalani

3.85 · Rating details · 920 ratings · 147 reviews

Hawai'i's Story by Hawai'i's Queen is an account of those difficult years at the end of the nineteenth century, when native Hawaiian historian David Malo's 1837 prophecy concerning "the small ones" being "gobbled up" came true for the Hawaiian Islands.

When this book was first published in 1898, it was an international plea for justice. Just as Admiral Thomas had restored

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Paperback, 424 pages

Published September 1st 2004 by Mutual Publishing (first published 1898)

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Dec 12, 2008 Robin rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: those who care about native cultures in the US, Hawaii travelers

Shelves: biography, cultural-studies, women, hawaii

Required reading for visitors to the Hawaiian Islands, IMO. Written by Hawaii's last queen, a very eloquent, worldly, and loving Victorian woman. She speaks directly, and in a somewhat formal Victorian manner. She tells of how she was essentially framed by US advisers whom she trusted and who had profited from her and her country's generosity. She was arrested, imprisoned, and forced to abdicate. Her possessions were all ransacked and stolen. She bears no bitterness, only disbelief at the Christ ...more

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Aug 22, 2015 Aubrey rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: person-of-reality, reality-check, antidote-think-twice-all, reviewed, person-of-everything, authorness, r-goodreads, non-fiction, 4-star, reason-for-history-class

The government of the Sandwich Islands appears to have passed from the hands of the king into the hands of a military oligarchy that is more domineering than Kalakaua ever was. Before the recent revolt of the Europeans in Honolulu the press of the city was very plain-spoken. It printed unadorned truths about the king, and the latter made no effort to suppress such unpleasant utterances. Now, under the new régime, the newspapers are kept in check with military thoroughness. It seems incredible

The government of the Sandwich Islands appears to have passed from the hands of the king into the hands of a military oligarchy that is more domineering than Kalakaua ever was. Before the recent revolt of the Europeans in Honolulu the press of the city was very plain-spoken. It printed unadorned truths about the king, and the latter made no effort to suppress such unpleasant utterances. Now, under the new régime, the newspapers are kept in check with military thoroughness. It seems incredible, but it is an actual fact, that not one of the Honolulu journals dared to reprint the comments of the American press on the so-called revolution, although such comment would have been very interesting reading to all Hawaiians. Even the reports of court proceedings are dry and mater-of-fact records, very different from the ordinary accounts. In a word, the freedom of the press of Honolulu is a myth under the reform party, and the [person] who looks for the facts in the Honolulu journals will not find them.

-San Francisco Chronicle, Monday, Sept. 5, 1887

Part of the reason why it took me so long to read this is that I had it hitched next to In the Eye of the Sun for some time. Another is that the style of prose really shows its 19th century composition period, which combined with nonfiction and politics makes for the sort of reading that had to be done during the morning pre-work coffee liminal zone, as my post-work evening sprawl would always reach for something a tad less weighty. Another is that one of my incentives for buying this book because of first cover appearances was the tourism entitlement so prevalent in the reviews of this work, a benefit guaranteed by the thieves and hostage takers that lived so long ago and are so prettily and politely described by these pages. If you're a US citizen and want more colonizer tripe à la Molokaʻi and various tour guides, just hop on a plane and write some of your own when you get there. No passport required.

That Hawaii has the only royal palace on United States soil is a fact often pointed out to visitors by residents, conjuring up nostalgic images of kings, queens, and royal balls. It may be more accurate to inform people that Hawaii is the only state that was once a completely independent lineage of monarchs who resided in a royal palace that was seized and stripped by a small group of Americans with the assistance of the United States government.

It may be true that they really believed us unfit to be trusted to administer the growing wealth of the Islands in a safe and proper way. But if we manifested any incompetency, it was in not forseeing that they would be bound by no obligations, by honor, or by oath of allegiance, should an opportunity arise for seizing our country, and bringing it under the authority of the United States.

This isn't some cute and whimsically detailed narrative calculated to please the broadest white gaze possible. This is a legal plea that was shot down by money and piled up history such as Pearl Harbor, fifty states, and various other military and plain old aesthetic incentives. Considering that the occupying country sentenced a three-year-old daughter molester to little more than probation during the last ten years, it isn't a wonder that, more than a hundred years prior to this, Queen Liliuokalani was lied to, manipulated, sabotaged, held captive, and ignored from the time capitalism took a bite out of her country to the moment of her death. What is a wonder is what she was able to compose during this period: translation of ancient poetry, hundreds of songs often without sheet music, and this, a testament that is part prosecution, part genealogy, part civilization, part government, and all Hawaii.

The substance of my crime was that I knew my people were conspiring to re-establish the constitutional government, to throw off the yoke of the stranger and oppressor;and I had not conveyed this knowledge to the persons I had never recognized except as unlawful usurpers of authority, and had not informed against my own nation and against their friends who were also my long-time friends.

The only charge against me really was that of being a queen; and my case was judged by these, my adversaries, before I came into court.

The fact that I don't believe in Queen Liliuokalani's speeches about noble sentiments and 15th century rigmarole of monarchs being imbued with divine powers doesn't mean I don't support her. The author's inherited ruling system of land apportion may have had its flaws, but when is someone going to come in and save the poor widdle white people of the USA from their backward and oppressive ways? I doubt the transition to Christianity was as welcome or nondestructive as she puts forth, but it was the missionary party that held the islands at warship point and forced their indigenous ruler to step down. The politeness with which she went forth and acted the perfect diplomat grew increasingly agonizing, as did the numbers of names and praises for even the ones that had had a hand in her destruction, but Queen Liliuokalani was desperate in a world that wanted to live in the pages of Pride and Prejudice, and politics does not tolerate a wit like Elizabeth Bennet. Each name was another feather in the cap of résumé that sought to earn its owner her constitutional powers back from the grasp of world powers that pride themselves on law and order, and the fact that all of these failed should tell you something about said law and order.

[I]f I was deprived of my civil rights at the moment of my imprisonment, of what value was the signature procured to my supposed or alleged act of abdication? Was it legal, of binding force, or effective? This question I will leave for decision to all those learned in the law; they can draw their own conclusions[.]

Perhaps there is a kind of right, depending upon the precedents of all ages, and known as the "Right of Conquest," under which robbers and marauders may establish themselves in possession of whatsoever they are strong enough to ravish from their fellows. I will not pretend to decide how far civilization and Christian enlightenment have outlawed it.

118 years after this book was published, I have scenes from Lilo and Stitch that were most likely excised for being 'politically charged' and various news articles that talk about a new judicial committees, for either the first or one of the few seriously taken times, being composed entirely of native Hawaiians, rather than those who called in US military resources while claiming themselves citizens. It's an old, old, old story, and the fact that 'no one' knows about it in the age of the Internet is because those in power find it more convenient it to do so. A surge of misguided and misinformed interest may come in the advent and wake of Moana, but that may only result in more abuse of animals, people, and countless civilizations. The only solution I can see is to piss off the right people in the right numbers in the right places. Knowledge is power, the truth hurts, and if you want to take down an enterprise by its own rules, all you need is a big enough audience.

[W]here corruption is practised there is no stability[.]

My actions were dictated by the sole aim of doing good to my beloved country, and of alleviating the positions and pains of those who unhappily and unwisely resorted to arms to regain an independence which they thought had been unjustly wrested from them.
As you deal with them, so I pray that Almighty God may deal with you in your hours of trial.

...more

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Mar 20, 2014 Emily marked it as abandoned · review of another edition

Shelves: victorian-era, biography-or-memoir, american-history, native-american, hawaii, history

I was pretty excited to read Liliuokalani's memoirs after reading Sarah Vowell's Unfamiliar Fishes, which details the history of Hawaii's annexation to the United States. Vowell consistently references Liliuokalani as a source, and I imagined her memoirs would be full of Hawaiian history and interesting anecdotes from her life. However - and this is my bad - I didn't take into account that Liliuokalani primarily wrote this for a contemporary audience as a plea for Hawaiian independence. Given th I was pretty excited to read Liliuokalani's memoirs after reading Sarah Vowell's Unfamiliar Fishes, which details the history of Hawaii's annexation to the United States. Vowell consistently references Liliuokalani as a source, and I imagined her memoirs would be full of Hawaiian history and interesting anecdotes from her life. However - and this is my bad - I didn't take into account that Liliuokalani primarily wrote this for a contemporary audience as a plea for Hawaiian independence. Given that, this is really, really BORING, in a way that only Victorian-era writers can make something boring. I made it about 25% of the way through and then abandoned it.

In the part that I read, Liliuokalani spends most of her time referencing obscure parties that she went to, and then name-dropping every helpful family who attended or hosted her. This is obviously expedient politically, but she skips over the interesting parts of each story:

Indeed, the entire grounds were given up to pleasure such as can only be fully imagined by those who have actually mingled with a happy people in the festivities of a tropical night.

.... and then she doesn't describe the party at all! I've never mingled with a happy people in the festivities of a tropical night!! Come on, bro. Can I get some descriptors here?

The writing is very Victorian. Liliuokalani was educated in London and knows who her audience is: the God-fearing Christian foreigners who will decide Hawaii's future far away. She's careful to adjust her tone and the content of her work to her reader. Of the previous religious practice of throwing rocks into a volcano to please the gods, the ostensibly Christian Liliuokalani writes:

... it would be well to notice that this propitiation of the volcano's wrath is now but a harmless sport, not by any means an act of worship, very much like the custom of hurling old shoes at the bride's carriage, or sending off the newly wedded couple with showers of rice; usages which form a pleasant diversion in the most highly cultivated and educated communities.

She also throws some intense shade at the policymen and missionaries who talk out of both sides of their mouth about democracy and self-governance. The foreigners frequently attempt to undermine the lawful constitution because allowing the majority to actually, you know, VOTE, would send them right out of power. These moments are particularly great when she just says it like it is:

This is an important page in Hawaiian history, because it shows how persistently, even at that date, the "missionary party" was at work to undermine at every point the authority of the constitutional rulers of the Hawaiian people ... if my brother had indeed sought his own pleasure rather than the good of all residents under our flag, his family would be in their hereditary rights to this day. By his liberality to those of American birth ... [they], as soon as they had become rich and powerful, forgot his generosity, and plotted a subversion of his authority, and an overthrow of the constitution under which the kingdom had been happily governed for nearly a quarter of a century.

Unfortunately she then goes back into her really dry, 1870s gossip column mode, talking about who was where and how proper it was for her to take a trip around Kauai, etc, invariably leaving all the interesting bits out. So as a historical document read within context, I'm sure this is an invaluable resource, and Liliuokalani was clearly a very well-educated, well-spoken advocate for her country and her people. I was just looking for The Secret Diary of Liliuokalani, and unfortunately that's not what this is. ...more

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Jul 18, 2020 Irene rated it liked it

I found this autobiography of the last reigning queen in Hawaii before the monarchy was dismantled by agents of the U.S. quite interesting. 3.5 stars

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Jan 17, 2014 Jason rated it liked it

There are two ways to read this: as a literary autobiography, and as a "plea for justice" as the introduction suggests. As a literary work, the book drones on in a "and this happened, and this happened, and this happened" sort of way. There are interesting parts, but the writing is very dry and dull. As a protest book, on the other hand, the book is compelling and utterly heartfelt. We have to sympathize with the Queen when she begs the United States to give her people back their islands and sov ...more

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Sep 13, 2012 Josephine rated it it was amazing

Amazing. The last third of the book is quite telling of the injustices suffered by the Hawaiian people from a few business men in the name of the United States. The acquisition of Hawaii by this country was unlawful, and suited the interest of a few wealthy people while crushing the rest of the population. It's been over a hundred years, and now we know this country has adapted these policies of promoting the interests of the the few at the costs of the many at home as well. We had no business ...more

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Aug 22, 2015 Michael rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: aa-unitedstateslit, religion, nonfiction, xlong-over-400, aa-womanauthor, aa-hawai-ilit, zz1890-1899

280815: i read this many years ago- decades actually. significant for the more recent kamaaina renaissance, the recovery of hawai'ian pride. surprised that I had not put this on here, though through family history know most of the appropriation of the islands, the unavoidable american annexation- look on any globe and you will note Honolulu is more or less the exact centre of the northern pacific, so useful to Europeans, to Americans, to whaling ships of moby dick era, to nuclear submarines and ...more

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Apr 25, 2014 Sandi Banks rated it really liked it

After a wonderful trip to the Big Island in March I was ready to read about Hawaiian history. I read Unfamiliar Fishes by Sarah Vowell. This inspired me to learn more. I wanted to read Queen Liliuokalani's memoir.

This was not an easy read. It was written in the late 1890s soon after the Hawaiian Islands was annexed by the United States . Liliuokalani was the last Hawaiian monarch who ruled islands. She thought this annexation unjust
bullying from the American business men whose missionary fathe ...more

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Jun 20, 2018 Linda rated it really liked it

Shelves: for-our-trip

I've visited and loved the four major islands over the years, but I'm ashamed to say I didn't fully understand Hawaii's history. The last queen's firsthand written account of how the missionary oligarchy stole the islands from the Hawaiians is a real revelation. When we visit again this Fall, I'm sure I'll see this beautiful paradise with new eyes, and I'll NEVER look at a can of Dole pineapple the same way. ...more

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Jun 10, 2013 Ashley rated it did not like it

This book can be clearly divided into two parts: from Liliuokalani's childhood to Queen Victoria's Jubilee, and from then until the annexation of Hawai'i.

The first part of the book is woefully lacking in detail. Liliuokalani declines to describe Hawai'ian food, customs, or scenery (beyond one memorable description of lava). I read every word and yet came away without a fuller understanding of Hawai'ian culture or customs. Instead, Liliuokalani praises her friends and the "delightful" parties th ...more

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Mar 19, 2009 Promise rated it it was amazing

This book has touched me in many ways. Being of Hawaiian ancestery and reading this book made me really re-think the way I thought about my culture and my people. Knowing all that has happend in my people's history is unbelievable. I encourage anyone of hawaiian descent or anyone who is just amazed by hawaiian history to read this book. ...more

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May 31, 2018 Wendy Jackson rated it really liked it

Shelves: autobiog-memoir-biog

I am having a hard time writing this review. Instead of sharing my thoughts and impressions of the book itself, I am holding back a raging, unhinged tirade about the injustice that is Hawaiian history after the arrival of the American missionaries. Honestly, at times I had to put the book down because the sheer criminality of what happened is so blatant (you would think I would be inured given the near entirety of US foreign policy, but no). The only comparator that comes to mind is the occupati ...more

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Jul 05, 2020 Charlotte rated it it was amazing

Shelves: nonfiction, memoir, history

I heard about Queen Lili'uokalani when I was about four or five years old, from my mother who played the ukulele. (When I say "heard about," I basically learned how to pronounce her exotic name and ran around the house for a few days saying, "Lee-lee-oo-oh-kaLAAAAAHnee!" over and over again until my poor mother probably went into the ironing room and shut herself in with her little instrument to drown me out. And it wasn't until I read this memoir that I pieced together that the queen herself wr ...more

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Jan 13, 2021 Nicole Finch rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This is mostly a memoir and partly a travelogue by Liliuokalani, Hawaii's last independent sovereign. It's written in formal Victorian English, which can be hard to follow, but I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Emily Woo Zeller. Zeller was the perfect narrator for this book--her tone really brought out the story and the emotion in the book. I could actually hear her smiling when Liliuokalani was recounting joyful experiences, and she brought just the right amount of sarcasm to the pointed ...more

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Nov 29, 2020 Krystelle Zuanic rated it liked it

Queen Lili'uokalani provides the reader a fascinating look into colonisation and the effects of the American expansion (as it is called) from the perspective of the affected in the equation. There isn't much history that is often seen that one can read from the perspective of the individuals who lose out in these circumstances, but this book covers the gamut eloquently and heart-renderingly. Perhaps most baffling here is Queen Lili'uokalani's willingness to leave final judgment to G-d and not pr ...more

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Jun 07, 2020 Lindsey rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction

This was an interesting, informative read. Written by Queen Liliuokalani as a testament to the unlawful removal of the Hawaiian monarchy by Americans, it provides a lot of detail but sometimes is quite dry as she gives many lists of names of people who helped or obstructed the native Hawaiian cause. I honestly, prior to reading this, had never given a thought on the origins of the state of Hawaii, but after reading the Queen's perspective, I feel that the United States acted shamefully and aggre ...more

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Mar 14, 2020 Valerie Brett added it

Shelves: mlis-thesis, memoir

This took me so long to read! At times it's terribly tedious, but I think it's invaluable that the queen diligently recorded her experience. She has a way of at times beautifully describing things; you can tell she took pleasure in the beauty of life, nature, music. ...more

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Sep 14, 2019 Leftiebookworm rated it it was amazing

A must read for those who want to know about the real Hawai’i, and hope to understand a bit more about the historical harm native Hawaiians have suffered.

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Sep 07, 2020 Kimberly rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Great to read Hawaii's history from a different point view. It makes me sad and angry how indigenous people have been treated by white men. ...more

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Aug 10, 2015 Becca rated it liked it

Shelves: stuff-to-recommend-to-students, hawaii

Well.... How to review this book?
I read it out loud to my students at our Hawaiian immersion school, 7th to 12th graders, in preparation for our annual Eo E Liliu song competition. This year for the first time our students wrote original compositions honoring the last queen of Hawaii. Usually we just learn songs that she wrote or that were written in her honor like Kaulana Na Pua, Ke Ai Na Alii, Anapau etc etc et. Her songs are legion.

Queen Liliuokalani sits so prettily in her black and white Well.... How to review this book?
I read it out loud to my students at our Hawaiian immersion school, 7th to 12th graders, in preparation for our annual Eo E Liliu song competition. This year for the first time our students wrote original compositions honoring the last queen of Hawaii. Usually we just learn songs that she wrote or that were written in her honor like Kaulana Na Pua, Ke Ai Na Alii, Anapau etc etc et. Her songs are legion.

Queen Liliuokalani sits so prettily in her black and white photographic portraits-- pillowed skirts in crisp-looking satin, ruffled sleeves, coiffed hair in the latest Victorian fashion... She looks so maternal and long-suffering. In the popular Hawaiian imagination, she is the royal martyr to the greed and evil of American businessmen who overthrew her and ultimately handed Hawaii over to be an American territory. She is the noble symbol of the Hawaiian monarchy: dignified, gentle, creative...

I made the mistake of not finishing the book before jumping right in with students (look, who has enough prep time for that. I figured we'd learn together.) We used general guiding questions to respond to each section we read: identify the themes, summarize what happens explicitly in the text, draw inferences from the text, and identify the author's hand-- their intent, their audience,their rhetorical skills. And since we were all getting through it together, it wasn't just my students who were confused and derailed by this book. I was not prepared to deal with the real Liliuokalani, in her own words.

Turns out, if you want to continue believing that Liliuokalani was a selfless protector of her people, a wise and martyred guardian of her race, you probably shouldn't read this book. She details, yes her mookuauhau, her royal Hawaiian lineage that entitles her to rule, and s few quaint Hawaiian customs of yore, but the overwhelming impression we were left with was of a feuding entitled family, hyper aware of preserving appearances, impressing high society, and maintaining their social position. It was not the egalitarian book we were looking for. She rides in a rickshaw pulled by Natives, and relishes when they get stuck in mud. It's hard to read. It's cringe-worthy.

And it's actually hard to read. She needed an editor badly, but this raw meandering diary, sometimes attuned to Hawaiian readers but mostly to English and American sympathizers, meanders pointlessly through time and space, little grudges and anecdotes achromatically jumbled into chapters with no guiding hand.

I'm sad, so sad to read this book. I'm sad that as my students and I read it, we lost some of our idealism and love towards our queen. Yes, we saw her as more human... But we don't want humanized royalty. We want royalty that can save us, that we can hold up as a banner and a beacon of our success and worthiness,

This book doesn't give us that.

With my high schoolers, we need to read this book with Sarah Vowell's Unfamiliar Fishes, and Mai Paa I Ka Leo to get a multi-dimensional look at what those last years of the monarchy were like in Hawaii.

...more

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Nov 29, 2014 Alison rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, biography, history

It is important to understand going in that this isn't a history of Hawaii. It is part memoir, and part cry of injustice, by Queen Liliuokalani of Hawaii. It is written in a very formal, and at times dull, 18th century style.
The Queen devotes the first part of the book to explaining how she came to be monarch - both her upbringing as part of the Hawaii royal elite in the mid-19th Century, the ascent of her family to the throne with the crowning of her cousin David Kelakaua (who was supported by ...more

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Jan 23, 2009 Margaret rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: authors-kl, poc-50-book-challenge, history, 2009-read, american-history, hawaiian-history

Lili'uokalani was the last reigning sovereign of Hawaii. In 1893, the monarchy was overthrown by a group of mainly American businessmen; in 1895, Lili'uokalani was arrested, imprisoned in Iolani Palace, and forced to abdicate the throne. Hawaii became a protectorate of the United States, and the monarchy was no more.

The book provides an interesting picture of late nineteenth century Hawaii's society and government, though the social parts are occasionally overfull of details about who visited wh ...more

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Jan 22, 2017 S. B. Letham rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, read-in-2017

Incredible slice of history. I love reading voices of people who wrote about important issues at the time that they happened, especially those on the other side of an issue that has been long forgotten. (Few people in 2017 debate about Hawaiian independence.) Liliuokalani is gracious and generous, always pointing out those in the US who treated her with kindness and dignity, most notably President Cleveland.

The prose is colorful, as expected of a writer in the late 1800s, but not difficult to un ...more

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Jun 19, 2008 Shannon added it

Recommends it for: American Studies or Native American Studies majors,

Recommended to Shannon by: A native Hawai'ian at Borders bookstore in Kona

What began as a slow Victorian guide to the social "A" list, has developed into a riviting and pragmatic account of American Imperialism. Lilioukalani is a shrewd and astute political analyst regarding the overthrow of her government and U.S. annexation of Hawai'i.

After having just visited Hawai'i, this book really delves into the complexity of this island nation and it's place in U.S. politics during the late 19th century.

A facsincating read by a fascinating woman! ...more

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Apr 09, 2011 Pua Hawaiʻi Book Blog rated it it was amazing

Shelves: non-fiction

Controversy aside, this book is absolutely enchanting! Read about the monarchy, Hawaiian government, society and culture–-all through the eyes of a queen who lovingly describes her land and people with inspiring detail.

Read more: http://www.hawaiibookblog.com/?p=21 ...more

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Dec 16, 2014 Ginger Lobdell rated it it was amazing

I am so grateful to have found this book while honeymooning in Hawaii. Hawaii's Story by Hawaii's Queen became my favorite autobiography/memoir. Queen Liliuokalani was the last monarch of Hawaii. She led a fascinating life, and I can't wait to learn more about her! ...more

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Oct 09, 2020 Jodi rated it it was amazing

Was this book biased? Yes. Was it rather flowery in structure? Yes. Was the bias informative? Yes. Was the rather flowery structure elegant? Yes.

Queen Liliuokalani presented her recollections of the final decades of the independent Hawaiian nation with impunity and a regal righteousness. Her ancestors’ acceptance of the Christian religion brought to the island via missionaries, instilled in her not only the faith but also many of the cultural elements of the West. Hawaiians’ naivete and hospita Was this book biased? Yes. Was it rather flowery in structure? Yes. Was the bias informative? Yes. Was the rather flowery structure elegant? Yes.

Queen Liliuokalani presented her recollections of the final decades of the independent Hawaiian nation with impunity and a regal righteousness. Her ancestors’ acceptance of the Christian religion brought to the island via missionaries, instilled in her not only the faith but also many of the cultural elements of the West. Hawaiians’ naivete and hospitality led to their own loss of sovereignty. The Queen spent much of the final pages of the narrative, differentiating between native Hawaiians and those Americans who came to the islands to exploit the resources there and then misrepresenting themselves as ‘the voice’ of the Hawaiians. This honesty, probably did not earn the former Queen many followers after the publication of the book.

Liliuokalani was mystified why a nation of such boundless space and resources, should steal her’s.
The Queen stated, “It may be true that they really believed us unfit to be trusted to administer the growing wealth of the Islands in a safe and proper way. But if we manifested any incompetency, it was in not foreseeing that they would be bound by no obligations, by honor, or by oath of allegiance, should an opportunity arise for seizing our country, and bringing it under the authority of the United States” (pg. 210). Here is the most accurate portrayal (read that to mean less biased) of the events Queen Liliuokalani has from the onset of her memoirs. By the end of the book, it became clear to this reviewer that the former Queen was interested in stopping the annexation and statehood of Hawaii to the United States. Paying visits to the Presidents (she only had mostly kind things to say about McKinley and Cleveland) and Congress while hosting many assemblies and gatherings to make connections (and fulfill her duties of etiquette and protocol).

Hawaii’s location and geography made it and ideal harbor for American interests beyond the natural vegetation and plantation products that could be produced. The United States was eager for naval harbors that would face Asian countries.

Queen Liliuokalani was intelligent, gracious, charming, steadfast, patriotic, scornful and thus a formidable foe to John Leavitt Stevens and his ilk. Her character could be the reason why she was imprisoned with false rumors about her intentions spread—to prevent her from gaining a sympathetic audience from others. She was from a privileged and authoritarian position, with awareness of the Hawaiian politics plus its social customs (family, religion, education and social practices).

Primary sources provided access to her recollections and insights plus from others (even the author’s trip to Great Britain for Queen Victoria’s jubilee, proved valuable to the eyewitness accounts) were included within the text and as appendices at the end. Also readers should consider her songs. ...more

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Jun 05, 2017 Ana rated it it was amazing

Shelves: nonfiction, author-of-color, indigenous

A remarkable read. Even though it is obvious how things would eventually turn out, I felt fresh anger, dismay, and heartbreak in every moment when Liliuokalani and her brother were forced to give ground to American capitalist interests.

The details of the processes shown here are often difficult for me particularly because they are so piecemeal. I find myself looking for the exact moment when the monarchy was overthrown and the missionary party gained power, going 'but they can't just do that,' a A remarkable read. Even though it is obvious how things would eventually turn out, I felt fresh anger, dismay, and heartbreak in every moment when Liliuokalani and her brother were forced to give ground to American capitalist interests.

The details of the processes shown here are often difficult for me particularly because they are so piecemeal. I find myself looking for the exact moment when the monarchy was overthrown and the missionary party gained power, going 'but they can't just do that,' as though it were like flipping a switch and either allowed or forbidden. But the truth is that there is no outside legitimacy. The 'missionary party' simply decided what they wanted and broke/changed/re-interpreted the rules to accommodate that, using violence and U.S. military might as backup. The truth is that these kinds of changes don't happen in one fell swoop but a multitude of tiny moments distributed over decades.

Liliuokalani's book makes it abundantly clear how neither she and brother didn't see the writing on the wall until it was too late. So much of the book seems like a litany of social engagements, of Liliuokalani traveling places, meeting people, partying with them and taking pleasure in their presence and conversation. The elements building up to the revolution are almost buried among all of these day to day affairs - and I think that's the point. First, because many of the same people who professed their friendship and took pleasure in Liliuokalani's company are the very same who later took part in the coup against her. As she says toward the end of the book, the Hawaiians willingly nurtured at their bosom the same people who would destroy their sovereignty. Second, because it speaks to how hard it can be to see a pattern without the benefit of hindsight.

Reading this volume was also an interesting challenge for me as someone who has difficulty when things can't be clearly sorted as one thing or another, especially when it comes to morality. On one hand Liliuokalani is fighting for indigenous Hawaiian sovereignty in the face of a colonial, imperial power. On the other hand, you have her visiting with U.S. presidents and congresspeople, and attending Queen Victoria's jubilee and talking about how 'great and good' she is. This is fascinating to me, and is a good reminder that even larger than life historical figures are still people, who go through life in complicated ways. ...more

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Jul 15, 2017 Leonide Martin rated it really liked it

First published in 1989, this first-hand account by Liliuokalani reveals the native Hawaiian experience and views during the difficult years as the 19th century ended and the Hawaiian monarchy was usurped. She wrote it as a plea for justice, hoping to win support internationally and convince U.S. President McKinley to restore the Hawaiian throne, as had been done in 1843 by U. S. Admiral Thomas following illegal action by British colonizers. But the interests of American plantation owners and en ...more

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Apr 11, 2021 Kieran rated it it was amazing

Far surpassed my expectations.

In American schools. it is now common (which it wasn't when I was a kid) for students to learn about the darker side of American history wrt the systematic abuse of Indigenous people. However, the accounts that are frequently taught are written by historians, not by people who were there at the time. This is a direct account written by the last Hawai'ian queen about her experience at the hands of the "missionary party," a group of mostly American businessmen who eng ...more

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About Liliuokalani

Liliuokalani

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Liliʻuokalani was born Lydia Liliʻu Loloku Walania Wewehi Kamakaʻeha. She was the last monarch and only queen regnant of the Kingdom of Hawaii. She was also known as Lydia Kamakaʻeha Pākī, with the chosen royal name of Liliʻuokalani, and her married name was Lydia K. Dominis.