Growing up in the Northwest with multiethnic Hawaiian roots proved to be challenging for Kauakanilehua Māhoe Adams. But today, the author is grateful for those experiences that provided material for her first published novel, which is written in verse.
An Expanse of Blue is written from the perspective of a teenager and unveils both the pain and pleasure of adolescence. Told through the voice of a Hapa Kānaka Maoli (half Hawaiian) girl living in Western Washington, the story mimics Adam’s own life — that of being mixed-race Hawaiian and brought up in a state with a Hawaiian population of less than 1%.
Recalling the obstacles she encountered while living in an environment that didn’t support her culture, Adams also called out those who questioned her ancestral ties to Hawai’i.
“It was difficult to grow up so far away from my family that still lived in Hawai’i,” she said in an interview with the International Examiner. “I often felt disconnected from that part of my community and pressure to prove my Hawaiianess in Hawaiian spaces because I wasn’t born and raised in Hawai’i.”
Adams went on to describe the sense of separation and alienation she often felt.
“People who don’t understand the Hawaiian Diaspora would sometimes make hurtful comments — often without realizing it — that made me feel less Hawaiian simply because of where I was raised,” she elaborated. “But as for my feelings about being Kānaka Maoli? I have always been proud!”
The 17-year-old protagonist of Adams’ book, Aouli Elizabeth Smith, lives with her family of devout Catholics. Although she’s skeptical about the religion they embrace, Aouli finds some solace at church because she can connect with other members of the Hawaiian diasporic community.
Unfortunately, her overbearing father forbids her to engage in typical teen activities, like stay-overs with female friends, so Aouli suffers from being labeled a misfit. Further, while her strict dad refuses to let her attend parties, he himself hides a terrible secret that Aouli inadvertently uncovers. Trapped between her longing to reveal it, and dreading the ensuing chaos it would cause if she did, she remains reluctantly silent.
Aouli’s submissive mother is merely a shadow as she declines to take up any of her daughter’s causes against her domineering husband. Meanwhile, Aouli’s dutiful older sister makes plans to go away to college and contributes to Aouli’s feelings of inadequacy through her unwavering obedience to their parents.
Then, there are Aouli’s peers. A girl whom she thought was her best friend betrays her over, what else, a boy, and the grief is overwhelming. Aouli’s only salvation is the loving attention of her aunt who heaps loads of Hawaiian tradition upon her. The philosophical musings of her aunt and the poetry Aouli writes in her journal become her lifelines — until one day when a boy with Hawaiian heritage appears.
As Aouli begins to heal from her many traumas, she continues to encounter obstacles. But the camaraderie she shares with the boy helps her to overcome them.
For Adams, being a writer has always been a career goal.
“There was a brief moment when I wanted to be a fashion designer, but I have almost always wanted to be a writer,” she said, adding, “Becoming a published author was and continues to be a dream come true for me!”
Like her character, Aouli, who finds herself ensnared within her family’s faith, Adams was also raised in the Church.
“I grew up Catholic, just like Aouli and her sister,” Adams said. “I often give my main characters similar—if not the same—identities that I hold, so that I can write from a place of authenticity and familiarity.”
Having a religious background and being separated from her Hawaiian origins also encouraged Adams to eventually write Aouli’s story.
“I drew inspiration from my own Catholic upbringing, as well as from what I experienced as a Kānaka born and raised in the diaspora,” she said.
Her book was written and published for the 12-18 age category, and Adams revealed that she has always had a preference for writing for adolescents.
“I always knew I wanted to write YA (Young Adult) books because those are the books that really made me fall in love with telling stories,” she disclosed. “I love writing about young people, for young people!”
Adams also confessed that, as a young girl, she enjoyed the act of reading so much that she would often skip sleeping to indulge in it.
“Reading was one of my favorite pastimes as a teenager,” said Adams. “I have fond memories of staying up into the early hours of the morning to finish a book on more than one occasion.”
As a former educator, Adams found that using contemporary language while writing her novel in verse came naturally.
“My time as a high school English teacher definitely helped me capture the voices of my
teenage protagonists!” she exclaimed. “It’s easy to forget what it is like being a teenager when you are an adult.”
Amiable relationships with her students also helped shape her story’s youthful personalities.
“Spending so much time with young people often transported me back to my own adolescence, which helped me to empathize more with my young characters,” she said.
Numerous pages in the book contain cell phone texts between teenage characters that sound genuine.
“Writing the text conversations was actually one of my favorite parts of the process and not very difficult for me,” Adams said. “I am still very close with my best friends from high school and, funnily enough, the way we text each other hasn’t really changed that much since being teenagers.”
She added, “Of course I had to avoid any lingo that would age me too much.”
Written entirely in verse, and not prose, the narrative unfolds with rhythmic grace. Several pages uniquely reveal just a single word while others repeat one or several words spilling like drops of water across the pages.
“I actually tried writing (the book) in prose multiple times before writing it in verse,” said Adams.
But that style proved difficult for her, and she struggled with finding the right words.
“I was already writing poetry, but I never considered writing a verse novel,” she said. “Then, in my third semester of graduate school, my advisor encouraged me to try writing (it) in verse. When I wrote that first poem, everything clicked and from there, the story came pouring out.”
As a multicultural author, Adams felt it was important to share her mixed-race experience with her readers. Besides her Kānaka Maoli ethnicity, she is also Japanese, Chinese and white.
Adams’ next book is titled, “We Are Hapa”. In the past, public controversy has raged over which multiethnic groups should be allowed to use the term “hapa” to describe themselves. In particular, those who are mixed Asian with no Hawaiian ancestry have been accused of hijacking the word from ‘Ōlelo Hawai’i (traditional Hawaiian language).
“Hapa is a Hawaiian word, and I was taught by my kūpuna (elders) that only those of Hawaiian ancestry should use it to describe themselves,” Adams said. “However, everyone has a different take, and I always want to respect the opinions’ and beliefs of others!”
