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The Descendents
HEMMINGS, Kaui Hart. The Descendents. New York: Random House, 2007. 304p. ISBN 978-1-4000-6633-9 (HC) $24.95. Acid-Free.
The Descendents is the first published work by up-and-coming writer Kaui Hart Hemmings. Hemmings grew up in Hawaii which is where this novel is set. It also is the setting of her second book, House of Thieves, a collection of short stories.
The title of The Descendents refers to the protagonist, Matt King, who is descendant from Hawaiian royalty and primary heir to the largest trust in the state. However, while his lineage does play a role in the story, it is not the main focus; the immediate issue at hand is Matt’s wife, Joanie, who is in a coma and showing no signs of recovery. Matt also has two daughters, ten-year-old Scottie and eighteen-year-old Alex, with whom he has never connected and now is faced with becoming their primary caregiver. After a long process of admitting and acknowledging his once energetic wife will not recover, Matt must carry through with Joanie’s wishes from her living will and gather her loved ones and allow them to say goodbye. During this process Matt discovers that Joanie had been having an affair. Torn between his anger and love for Joanie, his urge to forget and the desire for closure, Matt eventually gathers his daughters and heads to Kauai to find his wife’s lover and allow him to say one last goodbye.
Throughout this emotional process Matt must also deal with what he calls his birthright. His family, though holders of the largest portion of land in Hawaii, has not managed it well and is now land-rich but money-poor. They have decided to sell the land to settle their mounting debt and Matt’s vote carries the most weight, thus will be the deciding factor in the sale.
Reading this book, it is easy to forget, and surprising to remember, that it was written by a young woman. The book is in the first person from Matt’s perspective and Hemmings captures the nuances of her character so well that at times it reads like a memoir. Like Zadie Smith, another female writer who has chosen male protagonists, Hemmings writes with confidence and a refreshing economy of words. The reader is easily transported into Matt’s world; we share his confusion at his daughters’ behavior, sense the new tinge of hollowness to his memories of Joanie, feel the pressure when his responsibilities start to close in on him and the dizziness of his life changing forever. Yet these intense emotions are communicated through a precise use of language that is never superfluous.
This is definitively a character-driven story in which the plot and setting serve mostly to highlight what Matt feels and sees. In this sense, the book could essentially take place anywhere and be equally as powerful. On the other hand, however, its placement in Hawaii definitely does make it unique, yet mainly for the current or former resident of the state or at least someone very familiar with it. The setting is incidental to the story and key geographical features are only mentioned in passing; Matt notes the incessant chattering of mynah birds, he comments on the tourist traffic on Kalakaua Avenue, and he points out the large taro fields to his daughters while on the road to Hanalei. Only readers who have more than a passing familiarity with the places described will feel the full impact of their presence. Similarly, the thinly veiled fiction that is the King family legacy will most likely be lost on a reader without prior knowledge of the history of Hawaii. Far from being a criticism, this is merely something to be aware of.
In closing, The Descendents is a well-written, emotionally powerful novel and would make an excellent addition to any fiction collection, especially those with a focus on Hawaii or writers with ties to Hawaii.
The Descendents is the first published work by up-and-coming writer Kaui Hart Hemmings. Hemmings grew up in Hawaii which is where this novel is set. It also is the setting of her second book, House of Thieves, a collection of short stories.
The title of The Descendents refers to the protagonist, Matt King, who is descendant from Hawaiian royalty and primary heir to the largest trust in the state. However, while his lineage does play a role in the story, it is not the main focus; the immediate issue at hand is Matt’s wife, Joanie, who is in a coma and showing no signs of recovery. Matt also has two daughters, ten-year-old Scottie and eighteen-year-old Alex, with whom he has never connected and now is faced with becoming their primary caregiver. After a long process of admitting and acknowledging his once energetic wife will not recover, Matt must carry through with Joanie’s wishes from her living will and gather her loved ones and allow them to say goodbye. During this process Matt discovers that Joanie had been having an affair. Torn between his anger and love for Joanie, his urge to forget and the desire for closure, Matt eventually gathers his daughters and heads to Kauai to find his wife’s lover and allow him to say one last goodbye.
Throughout this emotional process Matt must also deal with what he calls his birthright. His family, though holders of the largest portion of land in Hawaii, has not managed it well and is now land-rich but money-poor. They have decided to sell the land to settle their mounting debt and Matt’s vote carries the most weight, thus will be the deciding factor in the sale.
Reading this book, it is easy to forget, and surprising to remember, that it was written by a young woman. The book is in the first person from Matt’s perspective and Hemmings captures the nuances of her character so well that at times it reads like a memoir. Like Zadie Smith, another female writer who has chosen male protagonists, Hemmings writes with confidence and a refreshing economy of words. The reader is easily transported into Matt’s world; we share his confusion at his daughters’ behavior, sense the new tinge of hollowness to his memories of Joanie, feel the pressure when his responsibilities start to close in on him and the dizziness of his life changing forever. Yet these intense emotions are communicated through a precise use of language that is never superfluous.
This is definitively a character-driven story in which the plot and setting serve mostly to highlight what Matt feels and sees. In this sense, the book could essentially take place anywhere and be equally as powerful. On the other hand, however, its placement in Hawaii definitely does make it unique, yet mainly for the current or former resident of the state or at least someone very familiar with it. The setting is incidental to the story and key geographical features are only mentioned in passing; Matt notes the incessant chattering of mynah birds, he comments on the tourist traffic on Kalakaua Avenue, and he points out the large taro fields to his daughters while on the road to Hanalei. Only readers who have more than a passing familiarity with the places described will feel the full impact of their presence. Similarly, the thinly veiled fiction that is the King family legacy will most likely be lost on a reader without prior knowledge of the history of Hawaii. Far from being a criticism, this is merely something to be aware of.
In closing, The Descendents is a well-written, emotionally powerful novel and would make an excellent addition to any fiction collection, especially those with a focus on Hawaii or writers with ties to Hawaii.
Submitted in May 2008 by Allie Jordan, LIS Student, University of Hawaii at Manoa.
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