*I received a copy of this book through LibraryThing Early Reviewers.*

I wasn't certain about this story, but I was happy enough by the end with a satisfying conclusion. I spent much of the book frustrated with the characters, particularly Sadira, who is able to maneuver her family into moving to Hawaii but can't seem to leave her perpetually drinking husband. I kept wanting the characters to break out of the confines they appear within - one character, Renee, managed the feat and I wanted to cheer on her behalf. I was happy enough with the conclusion, but I still felt like so little character development had taken place for all that this family had experienced. ( )

The time period for this book is an interesting one for Hawaii, but there are actually much better books out there than this one. The two POV's the author used didn't really work for me. The other characters were not really fully realized much. ( )

Telling the story from the alternating voices of Sadira and her oldest of two sons, Lionel (from age 8 to 18), limited the book in some ways as we didn't hear from the many people who surrounded them. It was a creative approach, though, that I appreciated the more I read.

I loved Lionel. I wasn't crazy about Sadira's character; however, people are complicated and I believe the author intended to show us her faults along with some of our own in judging others.

The setting is Hawaii from 1935 to 1946. You'd think everything might lead up to the bombing of Pearl Harbor, but I'm glad it didn't. It was part of the story, yes, but only part.

I enjoyed learning more about Hawaii through some wonderfully descriptive passages and the story was well-written, but I can't really say I "got much" from the book and it seemed to end rather suddenly.

I received an ARC so I'm trusting some of the font issues (lighter in some spots, changes in size) will be sorted out before it goes on sale in June 2022. Those kinds of things have nothing to do with the writing, but can be distracting to the reader.

The way it ended implies there could be a sequel. If so, I'd certainly read it. I'd like to know more about the host of characters that were introduced here and how their lives turned out. ( )

This is a debut novel by Marjorie Nelson Matthews with a 1918 prologue recounting the deaths of Sadira’s sister and father from the Spanish flu that ravaged so many families. Sadira and her mother, Elma, are left devastated by their deaths.

Fast forward to 1935. Sadira and Archie Doyle live in Carlisle, NY, with their sons, Lionel and Kenny. Archie is a mortician and Sadira is a columnist for a local newspaper with aspirations beyond their small town. Archie struggles with alcoholism, which results in the loss of his job at the mortuary. When he is offered a position at a mortuary in Hawaii, the family packs up and leaves Carlisle. Sadira has always been enthralled by a radio program called “Hawaii Calls,” so she is delighted to experience Hawaii first hand.

The story of their life in Hawaii alternates between Sadira and her older son, Lionel, and encompasses the years leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor through the end of WWII. Sadira is a formidable force and Archie’s descent into alcoholism makes her the anchor of the family as she establishes herself as a columnist and then an entrepreneur. Her relationship with Lionel is not easy, as both testify in their writings.

These are well-developed characters in a plot that is interesting from an historic viewpoint, as well as a glimpse into a family that struggles to find its way. I am grateful to LibraryThing and the publisher for this ARC. This is a talented author I look forward to following. ( )

Hawai’i Calls is a debut novel written by Marjorie Nelson Matthews.
It is published by Rootstock Publishing in Vermont.
Ms. Matthews is an accomplished writer and teacher and was born and raised in Honolulu.
Although Hawai’i Calls is fiction, the story is based on Ms. Matthews paternal family’s narrative.
I received an ARC (Advance Reading Copy) from the publisher as part of Library Thing’s Early Review Giveaway. Thank you.
Hawai’i Calls refers to the name of a very popular radio program broadcast from Honolulu.
“It was a radio program broadcast live from Waikiki Beach from 1935 through 1975 that reached 750 stations world-wide at the height of its popularity. It featured live Hawaiian music by an 11-piece dance orchestra.” (see Wikipedia for more info)
The book is full of historical facts, events and people; locations and cultural interest. I enjoy books that (even though there is a fictional narrative) include these ‘tidbits’.

This is a book with a definite chronology - we begin with the Prologue in 1918 as Sadira’s father and sister are carried out of the apartment on stretchers - dead from the Flu Epidemic, and conclude with Chapter 12 - August 1945 through June 1946.
Our narrators are Sadira, an adult wife, mother and a social news correspondent with the local newspaper. Archie is her alcoholic husband and Lionel and Kenny are her two sons.
Lionel (age 8 in 1936) is our other narrator.
Archie has just lost his job and partnership in the mortuary business and his partner has arranged another situation in Oahu with travel expenses included.
The relocation to Oahu offers an escape from Sadira’s ‘ordinary’ life and she has dreamed of Hawaii for years as she listens to the weekly broadcasts of Hawai’i Calls. Sadira is fascinated with her fellow passengers on the ship and exotic ‘ports of call’ and feels this new life, these new experiences, will transform not only her, but Archie and the two boys. Sadira lands a job as a society columnist for a Honolulu paper and gains independence and confidence, but at what cost to her family?

Sadira is an interesting character, not always likeable. Sometimes I am very sympathetic and understanding. We are talking about the early 1930s and it is hard to break out of a housewife ‘mold’. At other times, I find Sadira insufferable, arrogant and selfish. She is so jealous, so resentful, so ready and willing to carry a grudge; an unrepentant social climber.
Lionel begins his narration at age 8. He is quite ‘difficult’. He is selfish, yet very concerned about his family. We experience Sadira’s personality through Lionel’s thoughts.

There are other characters - Mrs. Ying Fong, Elma (Sadira’s mother), younger son Kenny, Renee (Mrs. Harrison Bellingham), Kaiyo. Of course, Archie.

I liked the book. The characters were certainly complex, interesting and a product of the times. The descriptions of Oahu were spot on. And Lionel’s thoughts as he contemplated and actually did try ‘to fly’ off the Pali Lookout were very emotional. (a turning point in the book for me) Using the radio program, Hawai’i Calls as a centerpiece was clever. The descriptions of the island during (and after) the bombing at Pearl Harbor were realistic and true.
A very interesting and engrossing read. **** ( )