We recently returned from our fourth trip to the Hawai‘i, so we are still island dreaming.  We have previously released our Top 10 Non-Fiction Books Set in Alaska and Top 10 Novels Set in Alaska, now we are turning our attention to the 50th state.  There are many novels to choose from set on the Hawaiian Islands, but all our selections are a good introduction to the Aloha State.  The Stench of Honolulu was a contender, but the comic novel is not really set in Hawai‘i, although it is hilarious.  We have not read enough non-fiction about the state to create a separate list, so we put a few of our favorites at the bottom, not including some interesting works by early tourists Mark Twain, Jack London, and Isabella Bird.  Click here to see all our Top 10 Lists.

10. From Here to Eternity by James Jones (1962)

A ne’er-do-well soldier goes AWOL in the months before the attack on Pearl Harbor from the author of The Thin Red Line

9. Sharks in the Time of Saviors by Kawai Strong Washburn (2020)

There are magical elements in this gritty story that follows a modern Hawaiian family and was selected as a favorite book by former President Barack Obama

8. Hawaii: A Novel by James A. Michener (1959)

Michener’s epic style covers the history of the islands in an easy-to-digest manner; the story about Mark Twain visiting Kilauea Volcano stood out

7. Micro: A Novel by Michael Crichton and Richard Preston (2011)

A work in progress when the Jurassic Park author passed away, this sci-fi thriller set on Oahu was finished by the author of The Cobra Event and The Wild Trees (which is on our Top 10 Non-Fiction Books Set in a National Park)

6. The Descendants by Kaui Hart Hemmings (2007)

This novel of family dynamics was adapted into an excellent movie starring George Clooney

5. Lei and the Fire Goddess by Malia Maunakea (2023)

This juvenile fiction book follows a 12-year-old girl who is swept up in a supernatural quest after insulting the goddess Pele, the sequel Lei and the Invisible Island is out now

4. Hawaiian Myths of Earth, Sea, and Sky by Vivian L. Thompson (1966)

There are many books to choose from about Pele, Maui, and other gods that are a good introduction to the indigenous culture, including the classic by Martha Beckwith

3. Honolulu by Alan Brennert (2009)

An interesting book of historical fiction, Brennert also wrote Moloka’i about the Kalaupapa leper colony

2. Radar Girls by Sara Ackerman (2021)

A romance novel based on the women who worked for the military during World War II; the characters are great and you will probably want to read Ackerman’s other Hawaiian-set books after finishing

…and finally our #1 novel set in Hawai‘i

1. Song of the Exile by Kiana Davenport (1999)

Historical fiction follows the decades of changes experienced by a woman who is exiled to the leper colony that is now Kalaupapa National Historical Park on Molokai Island (the author’s Shark Dialogues and House of Many Gods are also on our list to read)

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Honorable Mentions (Favorite Non-Fiction Books Set in Hawai‘i)

The Three-Year Swim Club: The Untold Story of Maui’s Sugar Ditch Kids and Their Quest for Olympic Glory by Julie Checkoway (2015)

A gripping non-fiction tale of the sons and daughters of sugarcane workers that set international swimming speed records in the 1930s and ’40s

By Wind, By Wave: An Introduction to Hawai‘i’s Natural History by David L. Eyre (2000)

Invasive species have a long history of disturbing the ecological balance of these islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean

Unfamiliar Fishes by Sarah Vowell (2011)

The author of Assassination Vacation turns her sarcastic pen on the haole invaders who “settled” Hawai‘i

No Worries Hawaii by Jerry and Janine Sprout (2009)

We have utilized many guidebooks to the islands, but given the overload of information out there this one is actually helpful in prioritizing options

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