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Sarah Vowell

Unfamiliar Fishes

Published by Riverhead

May 03, 2011 Sarah Vowell By Laura Studarus Bookmark and Share


In her continuing quest to make American history accessible to us non-scholars, Sarah Vowell has explored the lives of assassinated presidents and wild puritans. This time, the NPR-beloved, music-journalist turned civics-nerd (Vowell’s words—not mine), has turned her focus to the oft-ignored history of Hawaii—pre and post Americanization. In the same self-referential tone that rendered previous projects such an engaging read, Vowell traces the history of the islands from their earliest traditions, to Christian missionaries’ attempts to save the native heathens, to America’s annexation-by-force. (Spoiler Alert: Even today, not every Hawaiian wants to be part of “The Greatest Nation.”) While the self-described godless-meat-eating-feminist author’s clear biases may be off-putting to some readers, her reverence for the bygone-era, mixed with current-day memories of the islands’ land and people, makes an engaging read—far beyond the confines of the classroom. (www.facebook.com/SarahJaneVowell)

Author rating: 7/10

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