Author Talk with Jasmin ‘Iolani Hakes (Mill Valley)

Submitted by the Event Organizer

Join author Jasmin ‘Iolani Hakes for a chat about her debut novel Hula, a book about three generations of native Hawai’ian women and their deep connections to the tradition of hula dancing. The Mill Valley Public Library welcomes Jasmin for a live conversation followed by book sales and a book signing.

More about Hula:

Hi’i aches to be accepted as truly Hawaiian, and begs to learns the ancient tradition of hula, which has been practiced by the women of her family stretching back generations. As she faces the challenge of mastering the art of this sacred dance, she continues to encounter the obstacle of her identity. The elusive divide in her family seems to deepen rather than heal with time, and Hi’i copes with painful choices her mother (the reigning Miss Aloha Hula) makes that affect them all. Meanwhile, the community at large is under threat, as a century-old land grab by outsiders continues to play out, as corrupt politics, the vestiges of colonialism, and the lure of commercialization conspire to further bulldoze her neighborhood of Keaukaha.

More about Jasmin:

Jasmin ‘Iolani Hakes was born and raised in Hilo, Hawai’i. Her essays have appeared in the Los Angeles Times and the Sacramento Bee. She is the recipient of the Best Fiction award from the Southern California Writers Conference, a Squaw Valley LoJo Foundation Scholarship, a Writing by Writers Emerging Voices fellowship, and a Hedgebrook residency. Dance has always been central to her life and creativity. She took her first hula class when she was four years old and danced for the esteemed Halau o Kekuhi and the Tahitian troupe Hei Tiare. She worked throughout college as a professional luau dancer. She lives in California.

The bookseller for this program is The Depot Bookstore.

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