After the Ball

by David P. Penhallow

This award-winning novel tells the chilling, hilarious and touching tale of Percy, a seven year old boy in pre-World War II Hawaii, who creates ingenious ways of deal-ing with his parents' divorce in the face of an ancient Hawaiian curse placed on his family. This coming-of-age odyssey reads like a Salingeresque thriller of 1941's world of Hawaii, Hollywood film stars, movies, and celebrities of the day. You'll fall in love with little Percy, laugh at his escapades and cry at his misfortunes as he shares his quest to remove the ancient curse that he believes has destroyed his family, culminating with the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor.

576 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book captured my heart! A quirky story set in 1940-41 Hawaii from the perspective of Percy, a chubby, mayonnaise and movie loving 7 year old who believes he and his family are cursed. So many colorful characters in this book, all seen through the eyes of this precocious and lovable kid. Great descriptions of Hawaii too. Loved it

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first I was little bored and didn't quite "get" Percy. But, I stuck with it and actually really enjoyed this book. It's darker than I thought it would be from the reviews I had read but it keeps a light touch even when dealing with things like death. And Penhallow did a great job recreating 1941 Hawaii from a child's eyes. There was a lot I never realized about Hawaii at that time.

[Krista · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! Re-reading for my book club. Main character is quirky & funny. I thought the Author did an amazing job capturing life in Hawaii at this point in history, but in a light way.

[Carol Scheherazade · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everyone uses the word quirky.... and that's exactly what it is!

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming coming of age book.

[Jodi Funk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sharing my thoughts on this book from my blog: http://wp.me/p7jXcG-3M