Kaui Hart Hemmings' first novel, The Descendants, was made into a movie of the same name, which won an Oscar in 2012. A touching family drama with humorous overtones, The Descendants is the story of Matt King, an attorney whose family owns a large amount of valuable property in Hawaii. Although Matt has been scrupulous about managing his own investments, his extended family has squandered their inheritance and decided to sell what's left. Before the deal can go through, Matt's wife Elizabeth has an accident which leaves her in a vegetative state. This serves as a wake-up call for Matt who has been an absent husband and father most of his life.
Matt's two daughters, Alex and Scottie, are having problems of their own, with Alex in drug rehab and Scottie acting out in an effort to get attention. Matt also discovers that while he's been busy with work, his wife has been having an affair with a man she may actually be in love with. Elizabeth needs to be taken off life support and Brian, her lover, needs to be told about her situation. Clueless as ever, Matt decides to takes his two daughters along to meet Brian and tell him what happened to Elizabeth.
Dealing with his children and learning to gain their trust once again is what drives Matt towards change and the realization that life is too short to be spent away from those you love. Hemmings does a great job mixing the elements of humor and drama; even though her tone is airy, she manages to delve into difficult issues. Just when she's fooled you into thinking you're reading a comedy, she brings you to the realization that you have actually been on an emotional roller coaster.
Kaui Hart Hemmings is a native of Hawaii and grew up in the luxe neighborhood where she sets her book. She can trace her ancestry back to a native Hawaiian who married a Protestant missionary who came to the islands from Boston in 1836. She went to Colorado College and Sarah Lawrence College and now lives in Hawaii with her husband and six-year-old. All three of them had bit parts in the movie version of her book which went on to receive the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.
"I loved this book. The main character, Matt King, is a Hawaiian lawyer, descended from a line going back to a Hawaiian princess and a haole (i.e., European). That lineage entitles him and his relatives to a vast amount of plantation land that is now finally on the block for sale. Matt has the largest share & his decision on which buyer's offer to accept will ultimately control disposition of the property. This is all public news, reported on regularly in the papers, so everyone on the islands knows his situation & has their own viewpoints about it. While this is all going on, Matt is having to deal with his comatose wife Joanie, who has been injured in a boating accident, & is essentially brain dead, and his two daughters, preteen Scottie and teen Alex. Both kids pose serious parenting issues, especially for a dad who's been leaving the parenting to his wife since the girls were born. To top it all off, after Joanie's injury, he discovers some evidence that she may have been having an affair. Way too much for any one person to handle well, and Matt is no super-human. The author tells this entire story from Matt's perspective. Heart-rending and funny. I highly recommend this book."
—
Sheri (5 out of 5 stars)