But the truth is - although he is the trustee of multi-million dollar real estate, he is more or less cash-poor. His own father-in-law berates him because of this. Although he lives only on his own earnings as a lawyer, people behave as though he has bags of cash laying around the house. As a descendant of royalty, Matt lives with some notoriety in the community, even though he is of Hawaiian blood. We who live in Hawaii are always blaming the missionaries and land-grabbers of long ago, and even today tend to look upon their descendants as entitled S.O.B.s who don't belong here and don't deserve what they 'lucked in to'. The most interesting aspect of the story for me was hearing Matt's turmoil regarding his family's history. But there is another story! I haven't noticed that any other reviewer mentioned this. He has to deal with this, and with other small details, like finding out his wife was cheating on him, and his children are potty-mouthed and spoiled - you know, the everyday stuff we all go through. The mother is lying comatose in Queen's Hospital and the timeline is when the doctor tells Matt that they are going to pull the plug. Alex, his older daughter, is world-wise and smart-mouthed as many young teen aged girls are, and it is interesting to watch her develop into a role model for her younger sister as the story evolves. Her father, Matthew King, is as shocked as I was, and constantly berates himself for being an absent father. The young people that I am around today behave much the same as this ten-year-old. For instance, as an old lady, I was a little shocked at Scottie's precociousness, while at the same time found it totally believable. Listening to the story was startling in some ways. I saw the movie last year and have had a while to appreciate the underlying moral of this tale. And I think you'll enjoy the movie all the more. Not just another family drama in paradise! Read this one, you won't be sorry. The added base note and a solid character in its own right is the lush ecosystem of the Hawaiian islands and their culture, and the main character's historical and emotional connection to that environment, where his family has lived and prospered for centuries. This novel has that perfectly dissonant blend of humor and grace, of sarcasm and solemnity, and brilliantly handles all those 'OMG what do I do now?' moments with unbelievable delicacy and with a moment-by-moment way of working things out. To the complete advantage of the entire story, I will add.

As mentioned in the book blurbs, the movie features George Clooney, and after watching some of the scenes unfold, when reading the book, his persona infuses every scene.

We'll have to wait a bit for the movie, but in the meantime, content yourself with this read. I came to this novel through watching a trailer for the movie by the same name.

The descendants by kaui hart hemmings