Thursday, February 28, 2013

The Descendents

The Descendents
By Kaui Hart Hemmings
Random House, 2011. 297 pgs. Fiction

The King family descended from Hawaiian royalty and remains one of the largest landowners in the state. That may all change if Matthew, who wields the deciding vote in the family trust business dealings, decides to sell a large portion of his family's legacy to a new development. The stress of this important decision is made more complicated when Matthew’s wife ends up in a coma after a boat-racing accident. As he and his two daughters try to deal with the drama, Matthew will learn a great deal about his wife, his history as a husband and father, and what family is really for.

This book is filled with very weighty issues but surprisingly never gets too dark thanks mainly to Matthew’s feisty ten-year-old daughter, Scottie. Matthew’s narration keeps the tone on the lighter side as he mocks himself and his situation. A brilliant family drama.

CZ

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