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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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