Several Punahou alumni and faculty have published books in the past two years that span a variety of genres and subjects. Here’s a roundup of some of their work.
Ray Schoenke ’59
“Fat Girl Sings: Discovering, Embracing, and Leveraging Racial Identity on the Football Field, in Business, and in Life”
Featuring compelling characters and integrating classic themes such as bullying, racial injustice, and coming of age, Fat Girl Sings is the profoundly moving true story of a chubby brown boy’s traumatic loss of innocence and his mental and physical transformation into the warrior he has to become to achieve success in school, in the NFL, in business, and in life as he struggles to gain an understanding of himself, his environment, and his Hawaiian heritage.
Stacey Kerr ’67
“Wild Heart: A True Story of Hippies, Healers, and Harleys”
For Dr. Stacey Marie Kerr, a road is only worth traveling if it comes with some unexpected turns. In her mid-fifties, Stacey was diagnosed with osteoporosis and told to play it safe. Instead, she bought her first Harley. Over the next fourteen years, Stacey and her two best friends decided to give the finger to aging gracefully, ultimately embarking on seven epic motorcycle tours throughout the western United States filled with drama, introspection, and pure joy.
Pat Roos ’68
“Surviving Alex: A Mother’s Story of Love, Loss, and Addiction”
In 2015, Patricia Roos was a professor of sociology at Rutgers University when her 25-year-old son Alex died of a heroin overdose. Drawing from interviews with Alex’s friends, family members, therapists, teachers, and police officers, as well as files from his stays in hospitals, rehab facilities, and jails, she draws a compelling portrait of a young man whose life veered between happiness, anxiety, success, and despair.
Tori Brenno ’79 Eldridge
“The Ninja’s Oath”
Tori Brenno Eldridge’s fourth book in her Lily Wong series, “The Ninja’s Oath,” was released on Sept. 12, 2023. The international action adventure ensues when Lily Wong, a Chinese-Norwegian modern-day ninja, travels from Shanghai to Japan to help family friend and former triad enforcer, Lee Chang, locate and rescue his kidnapped twelve-year-old niece while, back home in Los Angeles, her father’s health wanes.
Todd Shuster with Maya Soetoro-Ng ’88
“The First Day of Peace”
Featuring an afterword by Maya Soetoro-Ng, The First Day of Peace is a fable for a time when many parents and children are deeply worried about our warming planet. At once timeless and timely, it sheds light on the importance of protecting the environment and of sharing rather than fighting over the earth’s precious natural resources. Todd Shuster’s lyrical writing is brought to vivid life by Tatiana Gardel’s rich and luminous illustrations in a story for everyone who hopes for love, justice, and peace across all mountains and valleys..