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Search - Rainbows Over Kapaa

Rainbows Over Kapaa
Author: Bill Fernandez

Rainbows Over Kapa'a describes the special town on the Hawaiian Island, Kaua'i, where rainbows dance among the clouds,and Bill Fernandez, retired judge from Santa Clara County, CA, was born and raised in the 30s and 40s. His engaging memoir reveals the local lifestyle tourists don't notice. Once you read it, you will understand the people in the... more » islands much better. Bill's hometown, Kapa'a, grew like a lotus out of the marshlands on the east side of the island, a place the sugar plantations did not want because of the wet soil, a place where a person could buy a small plot of land, unusual in the 1800s. At that time, most of the land was controlled by plantations after the westerners convinced the monarchy to distribute land for sale. In the traditional native Hawaiian world, land was not owned but was viewed as a communal place. Chinese laborers imported for plantation work settled in the Kapa'a marshlands to grow rice after completing their labor contracts. Then Japanese, Koreans, Philippinos, Mexicans, Europeans, even Russians, settled in the area along with native Hawaiians. The town sprouted as small shops opened, farms created and families grew. Everyone helped each other. Bill was born into a large family mix of native Hawaiians, Europeans and Asians. His parents, poorly educated half Hawaiians, built the largest movie theater in the islands in 1939. Deep red velvet curtains opened to a brilliant silver screen and the latest sound technology drifted out over the town. The Roxy turned sleepy Kapa'a into a lively town, drawing people to its bright lights. It brought the world to them. The theater survived tsunami, storms and competition from television. Then Hurricane Iniki struck. Walk barefoot with Bill and enjoy his childhood adventures building tin canoes, surfing on an ironing board and making his own toys and spear fishing equipment. Learn how he became an entrepreneur when 15,000 GIs arrived after Pearl Harbor. Chuckle as he describes playing war with his Japanese friends right behind the American machine gun nest at the beach. Taste the delicious foods he enjoyed in his multi-cultural, multi-racial hometown where everyone struggled and everyone shared with aloha. Shinto Temples stood next to Christian Churches near the Okinawan-owned store. Relive the unique cooperative fishing, hukilau. His colorful description pulls you to the excitement at the beach. Filled with photographs dating back to his pure Hawaiian grandmother in the late 1800s, the book brings back warm memories for many people. "A gift to the island" is the description of one reader who was unaware of what life before World War II and tourism was like. She now looks at the island with a new appreciation. A woman raised in Kapaa said she read it "with tears streaming down my face as I felt YOUNG again!"An abbreviated geneology describes the family history from Mau'i, to Alsace-Lorraine, to Portugal and Kaua'i. Rainbows Over Kapa'a describes the pot of gold the hard working people found. This delightful book is a unique walk down memory lane. "This is a personal, barefoot stroll through Kapa'a where the racial and cultural diversity of the people mirrors a town...You will delight in the array of characters, the colorful anecdotes and singular historical events that highlight the town's history and identity." Linda Moriarty, author of Niihau Shell Lei Featured in Kauai Traveler Magazine, Jan-April 2010 issue Selected by Hawaii State Library system for both reference and history sections.

ISBN-13: 9780615302119
ISBN-10: 0615302114
Publication Date: 9/21/2009
Pages: 134
Edition: first
Rating:

0 stars, based on 0 rating

Publisher: Central Pacific Media
Book Type: Paperback
Members Wishing: 2
Reviews: Amazon | Write a Review

Genres:

Biographies & Memoirs >> Memoirs

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