Garrett Hongo’s Volcano, A Memoir of Hawaii, is one of those rare works of art that operate on so many levels, yet still maintain a clear and steady narrative voice. In this strong work, Hongo tells a story that needs to be told, that he is compelled to tell, and he does so in startling and unexpected ways.
Hongo was born in the town of Volcano, on the Big Island of Hawaii. Just after he was born, his family moved to Oahu, and then Los Angeles. Hong’s memoir is of the Japanese diaspora, of a people spread far from their homeland, wrestling with both memory and the urge to forget. His memories are tied to one slice of that diaspora, the general store his family owned in Volcano. As Hongo’s life becomes broader, as he explores his poetry, as he marries and has children, and travels widely, he keeps returning, mentally, spiritually, but especially artistically, to the place of his birth. The old family stories of the Big Island are his Ur text.
This is no ordinary memoir. Hongo is a poet, and he deftly and carefully deploys language. There are surprises in his narrative, bold turns of phrase, spiritual insights, and very often, humor. There is a care and exacting detail in the prose that often only poets can bring to narrative.
This memoir is a about a small outpost in Hawaii, but issues of race, place, identity, and history, all orbit around Hong's quest for the history of his family. Issues of identity and place haunt the book; in a world where so much is in moving, what do we call home? The author's narrative voice sets up a tone and range that can deeply explore the sadness and pain of this quest, and its unexpected joys.
Hongo was born in the town of Volcano, on the Big Island of Hawaii. Just after he was born, his family moved to Oahu, and then Los Angeles. Hong’s memoir is of the Japanese diaspora, of a people spread far from their homeland, wrestling with both memory and the urge to forget. His memories are tied to one slice of that diaspora, the general store his family owned in Volcano. As Hongo’s life becomes broader, as he explores his poetry, as he marries and has children, and travels widely, he keeps returning, mentally, spiritually, but especially artistically, to the place of his birth. The old family stories of the Big Island are his Ur text.
This is no ordinary memoir. Hongo is a poet, and he deftly and carefully deploys language. There are surprises in his narrative, bold turns of phrase, spiritual insights, and very often, humor. There is a care and exacting detail in the prose that often only poets can bring to narrative.
This memoir is a about a small outpost in Hawaii, but issues of race, place, identity, and history, all orbit around Hong's quest for the history of his family. Issues of identity and place haunt the book; in a world where so much is in moving, what do we call home? The author's narrative voice sets up a tone and range that can deeply explore the sadness and pain of this quest, and its unexpected joys.
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