Several Punahou alumni and faculty have published books that span a variety of genres and subjects. Here’s a roundup of some of their work.
John Clark ’64
“Ni‘ihau Place Names”
The story of Ni‘ihau has been told many times by many people, but “Ni‘ihau Place Names” adds new information to the island’s history from a unique source: Hawaiian-language newspapers. From 1834 to 1948, approximately 125,000 pages of Native Hawaiian expression were printed in more than 100 different papers. John R. K. Clark has gathered and edited a large collection of invaluable articles that recorded daily life on Ni‘ihau, events and topics of interest, and the island’s place names.
Sharon Young ’71
“Abduction and Justice”
In 1991 Sharon Young’s abusive ex-husband abducted her son and two daughters from Honolulu to Mexico, setting off a decades-long battle to find her children and bring their father to justice. Abduction and Justice is the riveting story of how Young dealt with every parent’s worst nightmare – struggling through years of despair, facing unexpected legal hurdles and lobbying for establishment of the Missing Child Care Center-Hawaii.
Jim Howe ’73
“Bonus Time: Extreme Lives and Second Chances”
The book features six compelling biographies. Each story follows the life path of these extraordinary individuals to the moment they faced life’s greatest challenge, their own mortality.
Each pursued their dreams in the surfing world with a passion. Their adrenaline-fueled interactions with the sea led them to form tight bonds with others who pursued their lives in a similar manner. The stories and shared moments that surfers tell one another are the foundation of surfing culture. The stories told in this book are the stuff of legends.
Kirby Michael Wright ’73
“American Dreamland”
The poet takes a battle ax to the standard American dream perception that living in the suburbs is nirvana, or at least a safe zone inhabited by dwellers sharing their color, class, and political leanings. Wright rebels against the status quo of middle-class neighborhoods, especially the dull patterns of existence that spin suburbanites toward homogenization. He sees a link between the day-to-day acceptance of routine and living in communities of lookalike homes.
Kathy Tuan-MacLean ’83 and Tara Edelschick
“Moms at the Well: Meeting God through the Mothers of Scripture”
As moms, the authors have spent decades working with and encouraging other moms; they know the struggles real moms face in our real world. Their survey of more than 700 moms revealed that moms experience worry, anger, comparison, escapism, a desire for control, and even heartbreak while raising children. And moms long to connect with God in the midst of it all, though even that can feel like a challenge.