Matt King is a descendant of one of Hawaii’s
oldest landowning families, with a key say on the dissolution of a trust and
release of assets (land ripe for development) that would make him and a lot of
his cousins richer. But his mind is necessarily on other things.
His wife, Joanie, is in a coma following a
power-boat accident. She has lived life to the full, building a successful career,
managing the home and bringing up two daughters, while Matt has kept his head
down working as an attorney. So with Joanie in hospital, he is pitched out of
his comfort zone and into a temporary role as a lone parent.
Except it may not be temporary; prognosis is
not good. And while he comes to terms with the possibility of losing his wife,
recent doubts on her fidelity emerge from the back of his mind, strengthen and
drive him to seek out the potential lover who, he feels, should be given an
opportunity to say a fond farewell.
Then there are the kids, the in-laws, and
the friends to deal with; but in the emotional turbulence he draws his young daughters
closer and discovers strength in them, and himself, previously unknown.
It sounds dour and depressing but the
writing (Matt’s narrative throughout) has a light touch and there is much humour
(some, but not all, black); and with the dying woman emerging as no saint there
is no tendency to weep buckets as she expires.
In the background the question of the land
remains. Will Matt’s new-found connection to his next generation make him
re-consider the sell-off favoured by his fellow descendants?
The bright and, lush Hawaiian location
provides an interesting counterbalance to the tragic circumstances, and the
issues raised are addressed without cloying sentiment, making this an original
and finely written novel. [Now of course a well-received film with George Clooney
in the lead].
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