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There are currently 19 member reviews
for The Lion in the Lei Shop
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Judith G. (Ewa Beach, HI)
Living throug a war
I asked for this because I live in Hawai'i and have a daily reminder of THE WAR....driving by Pearl Harbor. As a young girl (much like Marty) on December 7 I felt no immediate impact and that's because I lived in California then. While reading this book I felt a close connection with the characters while enjoying the description of spots on this island. The Waianae coast must have been beautiful in the 40s. Anyone interested in the history of 'a day of infamy' from a different perspective should enjoy this book.
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Cam G. (Murrells Inlet, SC)
The Lion in the Lei Shop
The Lion in the Lei Shop by Kaye Starbird is one in a series of novels called "Book Lust Discoveries"...these are novels that had been published between 1960 and 2000, were out of print, but chosen for reprint by NPR commentator, Nancy Pearl because they were such good books.
She was so right on this particular book...I thought it was wonderful! The book begins on Dec.7, 1941, the day Pearl Harbor was bombed. It is a beautifully written account, spoken in two voices, that of a mother and daughter who live through the bombing, evacuate to the States and learn to survive without the husband/father who is left behind to serve his country.
This is a poignant, sad, funny story...I couldn't wait to finish the book, but then when I did, wished I could start it all over again.
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Mary Ellen B. (Hebron, CT)
Sad But True
As those who bore witness to Pearl Harbor die off, a book like this becomes even more important. It has fortuitously been reissued so that the memories of this time will not be lost. Beautifully written, it elucidates the tragic effects of the attack on a mother and her young child, and its future repercussions on them both. For adults and older teens.
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Mary B. (St Paul, MN)
The Lion in the Lei Shop
The novel chronicles the bombing of Pearl Harbor as seen by both a child and her mother. The story gives a heartfelt and engaging perspective of how that day impacted them and their lives as a military wife and child on the island that day, and the years that follow. The author was able to bring the events and emotions to life with her narrative. I found it hard to put down and very emotional.
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Diane M. (Walden, NY)
lion in the lei shop
Daughter marty is evacuated from Pearl harbor with her mother. In the aftermath she has nightmares of the lion in the lei shop who is supposed to devour happy children. This is the story of how the mother deal with their new life and facing the possibility of their soldier husband and father never coming home. This is a great book and one I'm glad I read it.
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Claire M. (Sarasota, FL)
The Lion in the Lei Shop
The unreliability of memory, mothers and daughters, a signal event in U.S. history: these are the stones of this story about an army family at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Through the sometimes overlapping, sometimes colliding memories of mother and daughter we learn about the surprise attack and how the lives of army families were forever changed. Many families were evacuated to the mainland and spent lonely years hoping for the return of their husbands or fathers. This poignant tale of the lives and losses made me aware that it was more than ships that were lost that day. It's a wonderful novel of memory, hope, loss of hope and endurance that enables the reader a new perspective on human tenacity.
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Linda P. (Medford, WI)
A Wonderful Rediscovered Novel
I found this to be an excellent read. The chapters alternating between April's ( the mother) & Marty's ( the young daughter) points- of- view of the same events was fascinating. The novel reminds one of how events can have lasting effects on the young & old alike. I've always enjoyed a good home front story, & this had a neat twist to it that makes it easy to understand why Nancy Pearl chose this as a "rediscovered treasure."
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