The Color of Air by Gail Tsukiyama

​5 stars
This lush story envelopes you from the first page and transports you to Hawaii. A feast for the senses you feel the ocean breeze, smell the plumeria, taste the tang of the mango and more importantly, you get to appreciate the quiet dignity of the Japanese-Americans who came to work the sugarcane fields and made the island their home. One of the island's own is returning after going to the mainland and becoming a doctor but Daniel's homecoming is marked by two events - the volcano is erupting and threatens to wipe out Hilo and Daniel is unaware that his mother has passed away in his absence. The small community embraces Daniel as if he never left leaving the Aunties to plan the rest of his life but no one is more excited and nervous than Uncle Koji who has helped raise Daniel but needs to unburden himself. This quiet story reads like a beautiful memoir of these hard working people and their shared history. There is an interesting juxtaposition between the beauty of the island and the violence of the volcano compared to the gentleness of the people and the violence and back breaking work they have endured. Fans of the Hawaiian novels by Alan Brennert and multicultural novels by Lisa See will love this.