When the Shark Bites

by Rodney Morales

Hank Rivera, one-time activist and now full-time construction worker, has just been evicted from his home in Waikiki and is forced to move to the Waianae coast. While in the midst of moving, Hank and his wife, Kanani, are approached by a college student researching the early years of Hawaii's modern civil rights movement, which culminated in the rigorous protests surrounding the bombing of Kahoolawe in 1976. Hesitant at first, Hank and Kanani agree to talk about the past and their role in the movement. Vivid and sometimes painful memories surface, causing both of them to question their feelings of love and loyalty--not only for each other, but for their heritage. Through the voices of Hank, Kanani, and others, Rodney Morales tells a thoroughly contemporary story of Hawaii--one that addresses the realities of asserting one's culture in a multicultural world.

376 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2002

Reviews

[Wanna dance?]

The seeds of this tale are there; Morales edited a beautiful book called “ Hoihoi Hou A Tribute To George Helm And Kimo Mitchell”, published (1984) by Bamboo Ridge Press in Hawaii.

I see how “The Shark” blossomed from the seeds in “Hoʻi hoʻi Hou”. I say seeds because I see so much potential in the story, it doesn’t seem to ripen like a summer mango, tempting you to pick it from the greedy neighbor’s front garden each time you pass the mango tree.

I found the chapters featuring different characters a bit confusing, it didn’t move the story forward. One reviewer mentioned the first half moved slowly, then it picked up momentum in the second half. The story could have been told in two hundred pages.

[ea304gt]

The premise is very intriguing. It made me read about George Helm and the 70s Protect Kahoʻolawe ʻOhana (PKO) movement on Hawaiian sovereignty. How Helm and others launched themselves to reclaim the Kahoʻolawe island and stop US Navy military testing there. And how ultimately Helm and others mysteriously disappeared in the Pacific Ocean while protesting for their heritage. I was completely unaware of all of it, or of any Hawaiian history for that matter. I would have LOVED to learn more about the PKO and similar movements through the novel. Alas. Morales and the Shark had other plans.

The novel is a coming-of-age story, except it isn't. The novel is a political murder mystery, except it isn't. The novel is a thriller based on real-life social events, except it isn't. The novel tries to pick several lanes, and ultimately, fails to fully deliver for any of them. Every chapter changes the narrator and the tone of the novel, which ultimately leaves you confused.

It is a book that I finished, I enjoyed reading it, but I would never re-read it. I would instead look for PKO-related literature in the future.

[Laurie]

This novel tells the story of the hawaiian renaissance of the seventies, and how the hopefulness of those times led to the mysterious death of a sovereignty activist and the less idealistic eras that ensued. It sent me to the music of George Helm (one of the models for Keoni) Iz, Jon Osorio and Olomana. The characters in the novel are conflicted but just trying to do their best: the young surfer Makena, his father Henry and mother Kaunani, who are all haunted by events of the seventies. The beach, cramped houses in Waikiki, and other local venues are described vividly with a seventies soundtrack.

[Erra]

Rating: 3.5 stars. Even though I was born and raised in Hawaii, it was difficult to relate to the events that gave the background to the story, i.e. the bombings of Koho'olawe. Probably because I wasn't alive yet, but I digress. The book was fine and finally got more engaging a little after the halfway mark, but there were some extraneous details that I wasn't sure mattered to the plot in the end, and the title is still disconnected for me. However, once it finally got more intricate and didn't just rely on history, it got so much better. And the pidgin dialogue was fantastic.

[Laurie Tomchak]

Haven't read yet, though I think I read it a few years ago. It's about the birth of the Hawaiian sovereignty movement, and one of my english students is writing a paper about it so I'm rereading it. My book club is reading it as well, and the author is coming to an april reading festival organized by a friend. Looking forward to reading again.

[SonyaB]

Had to read it for class. I love the history, the local hawaiian narrative and point of view, but all the sex escapades were tiresome and the way the author bopped around back and forth between the narrators confused me. I found it unnecessary to hear from all the characters in the story. However, it is a great critique of the cultural issues that still go one today.

[Sheryl]

Book Club read. Enjoyed reading about familiar places.