Ellen Emerson White,
Kaiulani: The People’s Princess
Scholastic Inc., 2001.

How wonderful it is to read a fictional book targeted for young adults with an historically accurate backbone. Ellen Emerson White’s contribution to The Royal Diaries collection, Kaiulani: The People’s Princess, is a coming-of-age tale told through the voice of Hawaii’s last princess before the islands were annexed to the United States in the 1890s. The book is presented as a diary, each entry a reflection of the young Princess’s thoughts during her transition from child to woman. We witness Kaiulani living thousand of miles away from home and also dealing with the fact that her homeland is under much political turmoil and there is nothing she can do about it.

The sense of duty and the desire to make her country proud are the recurring themes of the book. Although the diary format is clever and easy to read, some of the excerpts are too brief. What the book does well is bring to the reader’s attention the colorful, intricate weavings of the Islands’ history. I had no idea of the many events that helped to shape Hawaii into what it is today. Much of it is as beautiful as it is heartbreaking, and perhaps to some, unjust, but necessary to know all the same. I recommend this book as an enjoyable way to learn a little history and at the same time, to realize that growing up, whether in a royal home or not, is never an easy, painless thing to do.

Maritess A. Tse