Read one family's struggle to stay together amid an unexplainable, almost magical event

Sharks in the Time of Saviors — Kawai Strong Washburn

What to Read This Week

Sharks in the Time of Saviors by Kawai Strong Washburn

Content warnings, which do include some spoilers, are listed in the footnote of this newsletter.¹

What It’s About

When seven-year-old Nainoa Flores falls into the ocean into a shark swarm, his family fears the worst. But instead of being harmed, a shark gently guides him back to the safety of the ship. Stunned, his family is overjoyed, but shortly after, they notice something different about Nainoa.

He has a strange new gift, one that draws the attention of people from thousands of miles away, flocking to their small Hawaiian town. His parents believe it is a sign from the ancient gods that their struggles against the collapsing sugarcane industry will be lifted. But as the years go by, this gift drives a wedge between Nainoa and his parents and the two other siblings, who begin to drift farther and farther from their family.

As adults, the three children are more distant than ever, all living off the island on the mainland United States, and all are grappling with their own challenges that began all those years ago, including Nainoa, who is still trying to understand what his gift means.

Why You Should Read It

I began reading this book in print, but switched to the audio, and while it’s an incredible story either way, I would highly recommend the audio. With a full cast and narration to match the written dialect, I was fully immersed in this story and the world of this family. I got chills, I cried (several times), and I was utterly captivated. It’s a heavy story, but an unforgettable one.

Hawai‘i has long been a place that has fascinated me: it’s at the top of my list to travel to, and it’s always been somewhere I truly wanted to learn about and respect the culture. Knowing how much colonialism has affected and stolen from Native Hawaiians, I want to make sure that I am educating myself as much as possible about its history and culture. For now, reading books by and about Native Hawaiians is a way I can both armchair travel and learn on my own.

Native Hawaiian authors are severely underrepresented in the world of publishing, so it is not as easy to find stories by them (which is precisely why we should seek out stories like this), but two on my list are Nuclear Family by Joseph Han, a Korean American who was raised in Hawai‘i, and The Three-Year Swim Club: The Untold Story of Maui’s Sugar Ditch Kids and Their Quest for Olympic Glory by Julie Checkoway, about a 1937 Maui swim team determined to become champions.

Have you read any books by Native Hawaiians? I would love to know what else I should add to my own list!

Misc.

I went on a Little Free Library tour recently with my mom—if you haven’t done one of these, it’s looking up a bunch in your area or a new one, and going on a big adventure to a bunch of libraries in one day! I truly enjoy these so much, and it gives me a chance to see new neighborhoods and how people showcase their own creativity. I even found a brand-new copy of Celeste Ng’s newest novel, Our Missing Hearts, which I nearly harmed myself jumping out of the car to grab.

I can’t wait to tell you about what I’ve been reading—have had only 4- and 5-star reads so far in 2023, but I’m saving those for official recommendations! For now, I’m currently listening to The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde, and reading The Gifted School by Bruce Holsinger (from last year’s survey!). Enjoying both of them for very different reasons!

More Books

Can’t get enough, or looking for more recommendations? Browse the archives, or check out some popular past recommendations: 

• Read a cautionary tale of a modern princess trapped in her castle

• Read about a lawyer fighting against an unfair justice system

• Read a thriller about a polygamist, his wives, and their secret pasts

I also love hearing from readers! Let me know what kinds of books you’re looking for that you’d like to see featured, or send in your most recent five-star read (or two) and get a recommendation just for you. You might be featured in an upcoming newsletter! Reply to this email to get in touch!

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1. Content warnings include suicide ideation; drug & alcohol abuse; physical fighting; arrests & interactions with cops; death and grief, both of a child and of aging parent.