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Reviewed by Victor J. Banis, of author Long
Horns, Angel Land, and Deadly Dreams
Alan Chin's Island Song is, for want of a better
description, a love story, but it is so outside the boundaries usually
pertinent to that genre that I fear I am starting off on the wrong foot
by labeling it so. It could also be described as a "gay
novel," but I don't think that label is any more appropriate,
either. It is a novel about love, but of many sorts and of many aspects,
and some of that love occurs between two men, but this is truly not the
thrust of the story, only one element of it.
The novel begins on an eerie metaphysical note. An
ancient Hawaiian shaman, known to everyone only as
"Grandfather," and his grandson, Songaree, come to a small
island in the middle of the night to perform a mystical ceremony,
summoning the ancient island Gods, Kane and Pele. "Bring forth the
Speaker," the old man chants. "Bring forth the Speaker."
The story's focus shifts to Garret Davidson. Two
years after the AIDS related death of his lover in
San Francisco
, Davidson comes to
Hawaii
to write a book about his lost love. He wants only to be alone in the
beach shack he has rented, to stare out at the endless ocean and heal
his wounded spirit.
He has rented the shack, however, from Grandfather,
who sends Songoree to serve as Davidson's housekeeper and man-of-all
trades. At first, a bitter Davidson resists Song's ministrations, but
the old Kahuna has his own plans for these two and in time they become
entwined in an extraordinary relationship, a relationship increasingly
resented by Song's surfer friends. Violence follows, vicious and sudden,
like the bite of a great white shark.
Island Song is not only about the love that
gradually grows between Song and Davidson, however. There is as well a
profound love between grandfather and grandson; the love that both of
them have for their island traditions; the love of friends. Even the
all-sacrificing love of a dog for his human partner. Most especially
there is a love of nature, and of the mystical.
Wafting through it all, like the tropical breeze
rustling the leaves of the palm trees, is the author's love for his
idyllic island setting and for the interconnectedness that he sees lying
beneath the surface of all existence: "All things begin within the
density of silence."
Alan Chin has penned an uplifting read that
transports one not only to
Hawaii
, but ultimately and far more importantly to the island that lies
within, the island of the heart. What the author would have us
understand is that it is on this island where the wounded and the
unhappy—and isn't that at one time or another each of us—will find
the healing, the peace, they seek. This is its song.
A beautiful book. The real crime here would be in
not reading it.
Reviewed by
Josh Aterovis, author of Bleeding Hearts, Reap the Whirlwind, and All
Lost Things
It's been two years since the death of Garrett Davidson's lover,
but for Garrett, the pain is still just as fresh as if it had been only
yesterday. His pain is so overwhelming he feels he won't be able to move
on until he's exorcised his lost lover from his life. He'll do that by
keeping his promise to write their story.
Garrett quits his successful job in
San Francisco
, packs up, and indefinitely rents a secluded beach house in a small
Hawaiian town. The house comes with its own caretaker, a handsome young
islander named Songoree.
Songoree's grandfather is the local shaman, a revered and feared
figure in the village. He's been training Song to take over for him,
teaching him to carry on his vision of a world living in peace instead
of war. Grandfather is convinced that Garrett is the Chosen One he has
been promised, but Song isn't so sure. Still, there's something about
the man that intrigues Songoree.
Much to his surprise, Garrett is finding himself attracted to
Songoree as well. As the two face their growing attraction, they must
also face the disapproval of the conservative islanders, as well the
expectations of Song's grandfather.
Island Song is a
beautiful novel. Technically, this book would probably be categorized as
a romance novel, but it's really so much more. Island Song is about loss, healing, finding love in unexpected
places, leaving the world a better place when we're gone... and the
sacrifices we sometimes have to make to achieve that.
First-time-author Alan Chin writes characters that are richly
drawn. Garrett's pain is revealed slowly through flashbacks and dreams.
He's a broken man haunted by the love of his life, but he has to let go
in order to move on. Songoree is a sensitive, sweet soul. While he
doesn't quite fit in with his rough-and-tumble surfer buddies, he's
accepted as one of the gang as long as he sticks to the straight and
narrow.
Even the secondary characters are vivid: Grandfather, Audrey,
Mother Kamamalu, Hap. Each stands on their own as fully realized
personalities, adding depth and dimension to an already strong story.
Just as important as the human characters is the island upon which the
story is set,
Hawaii
. While Chin does a fantastic job of recreating the lush, exotic feel of
the island, he goes beyond a mere travelogue and really captures the
spirit of the island.
The book is written in the present tense, an
unusual approach these days. It took me a while to get into the rhythm,
but once I did, the style really works. It creates a sense of urgency
and immediacy that serves the story well. I was completely enchanted by
this novel, and I look forward to more from Alan Chin.
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