Sojourners
1 June 2027 · United States
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Why it is on our radar
Chen moves from Land of Big Numbers into a novel of family and a changing Hawai‘i. The search spans rural and urban life, connecting a personal disappearance with the islands’ economic and cultural transformation.
About the book
Sisters Kana and Leilani grow up around their family’s store on Hawai‘i’s Big Island in 1920. After Leilani vanishes, Kana inherits the practical burden of keeping the business going. A radio singer’s familiar voice later draws her to Honolulu, reopening the question of what happened to her sister.
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