House of thieves - Hemmings, Kaui Hart
Summary: In a series of tales featuring complex upper-class Hawaiian families, a single mother discovers an adult magazine in her son's room, a man struggles to understand his wife's abandonment, and a son is disillusioned by his father. - (Baker & Taylor)
Booklist Reviews
Just as the individual land masses that make up the Hawaiian Islands are worlds unto themselves, so, too, are the characters Hemmings depicts in this penetrating exploration of the nature of families and the individuals who belong to them. Disappointment and isolation, frustration and regret inform each story's conflict, whether it is a father unprepared to raise his 10-year-old daughter while her mother lies in a coma, as in "The Minor Wars," or a pack of teenage girls flirting with independence in "House of Thieves." Hemmings takes her characters' cues from the composition of the islands she knows so well, their volcanic cores smoldering just beneath the surface, either forced to lie dormant or prone to violent outbursts. Set against the tropical backdrop of sun, sand, and surf, Hemmings' stories are all the more surreal for their perceptive juxtaposition of tumultuous emotions within such a seemingly benign paradise. With a dynamic and imaginative voice, Hemmings infuses her stories with keen insight, and lavishes her characters with profound empathy. ((Reviewed April 15, 2005)) Copyright 2005 Booklist Reviews.
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