Library Assistant Leona Anthony recommends Everything to the Sea by Alicia Upano.
A sudden tsunami devastates the town of Hilo on Hawaii Island, leaving survivors Kenji and Jane to make sense of what remains and find a way forward. What happens when tragedy strikes the place you call home and lives lost far outnumber those spared? What if you were among the survivors? How do you sustain yourself in a small community deeply shaped by local customs, traditions, and expectations?
Upano seamlessly weaves local Hawaii customs into the story, reflecting an island culture that is both heartwarming and complex.
Growing up in Hawaii, I’ve seen how deeply ‘ohana (family) and kuleana (responsibility) are interwoven. Elders are universally addressed as “Aunty” or “Uncle” out of respect. From a young age, we are taught to return home, whether after college to build a family or later in life to care for aging parents, and we honor those who pass with vibrant traditions brought from ancestral homelands.
In the novel, Jane and Kenji are two young people from Hilo who fall in love while living away, only for a tsunami to decimate their hometown. While Kenji has always been dedicated to fulfilling his family’s expectations, Jane feels driven to follow her own path.
Following the disaster, how do they reconcile their connection to a shared home now defined by loss, grief, and the weight of rebuilding? How do they navigate the duty of returning to Hilo—to care for family, honor the deceased, and uphold community respect—when their own futures remain uncertain?
Ultimately, this is a story of survival, recovery, and transformation in the wake of a natural disaster. Though we routinely view such catastrophes through news headlines and social media feeds, they often feel distant…
…until they strike the place we call home.
