Unfamiliar Fishes

By: Sarah Vowell

Narrated by: Fred Armisen, Bill Hader, John Hodgman, Catherine Keener, Edward Norton, Keanu Reeves, Paul Rudd, Maya Rudolph, John Slattery, Sarah Vowell

Length: 7 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

Many think of 1776 as the most defining year of American history, the year we became a nation devoted to the pursuit of happiness through self-government. In Unfamiliar Fishes, Sarah Vowell argues that 1898 might be a year just as crucial to our nation's identity, a year when, in an orgy of imperialism, the United States annexed Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Guam, and invaded Cuba and then the Philippines, becoming a meddling, self-serving, militaristic international superpower practically overnight.

Of all the countries the United States invaded or colonized in 1898, Vowell considers the story of the Americanization of Hawaii to be the most intriguing. From the arrival of the New England missionaries in 1820, who came to Christianize the local heathen, to the coup d'état led by the missionaries' sons in 1893, overthrowing the Hawaiian queen, the events leading up to American annexation feature a cast of beguiling, if often appalling or tragic, characters. Whalers who will fire cannons at the Bible-thumpers denying them their god-given right to whores. An incestuous princess pulled between her new god and her brother-husband. Sugar barons, con men, Theodore Roosevelt, and the last Hawaiian queen, a songwriter whose sentimental ode "Aloha 'Oe" serenaded the first Hawaii-born president of the United States during his 2009 inaugural parade.

With Vowell's trademark wry insights and reporting, she sets out to discover the odd, emblematic, and exceptional history of the 50th state. In examining the place where Manifest Destiny got a sunburn, she finds America again, warts and all.

Read by the author a cast that includes Fred Armisen, Bill Hader, John Hodgman, Catherine Keener, Edward Norton, Keanu Reeves, Paul Rudd, Maya Rudolph, and John Slattery. Music by Michael Giacchino with Grant Lee-Phillips. The score contains excerpts from "Hawai'i Pono'i" (words by David Kalakaua and music by Henri Berger) performed by Grant-Lee Phillips.

©2011 Sarah Vowell (P)2011 Simon and Schuster

Critic reviews

"Vowell makes an excellent travelling companion, what with her rare combination of erudition and cheek." ( The New York Times Book Review)

Not for Tourists

From the arrival of Captain Cook, to the missionaries, to the businessmen and politicians who orchestrate the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy, Vowell's book is a fascinating and upsetting in-depth look at the Americanization (and eventual annexation) of Hawaii. This is not your typical tourist fare.

I knew what to expect from Vowell's reading, and don't have any issues with her voice (if you're not familiar with Vowell, definitely check out the sample to see if it'll be too much for you).

The supporting cast is generally fine, but Keanu Reeves is shocking great as David Malo. I think I could listen to him read Malo's Hawaiian Antiquities and be content.

Definitely worth checking out if you're at all interested in the history of Hawaii.

I like Sarah Vowell, but hate her voice

Sarah Vowell is an excellent, and very thorough historical researcher who weaves personal antecdotes into the stories of the long past. It is obvious to all readers that she views her subjects, no matter how long dead, as alive and as real as her own friends and family. I enjoyed this book and learned a great deal about Hawaii's history.

That said, Sarah Vowell has the most annoying, nasal voice in the world, and speaks with a thiiick Bostonian accent. It grated on my nerves so much so that I couldn't finish listening to the book. Don't let the long list of famous narrators fool you, either: the big name actors and comedians who Vowell got to contribute phone in their one-line readings of historical dialogue in a way reminiscence of a bored teenager called to read in high school literature class. Not a fun listen for me!

Love This Book!!!!

As a singing teacher I was originally horrified that someone with Sarah Vowell's voice quality would be put on the radio, but now I can't live without her. She's made me a convert to vocal diversity on the radio. I adore her narration and her pithy scholarship. This is editorial history at it's finest. Thank you for this book.

Came for the Sarah Vowell...

...stayed for the Sarah Vowell. The hilarious history writer is as entertaining as ever in audio form.

A good, if not great, listen

I'm a bit in love with Sarah Vowell. Her squeaky voice. Her penchant for linking the triviality of today with earth-shaking events of yesterday. And, like many of her other fans, I first found her on This American Life, and was delighted to discover that her books were nearly as wonderful as her TAL stories.

Tthe reason I enjoy Vowell's books so much is that they enable me to be a lazy historian. Which is to say, I like the idea of being historically informed, but it's just so much darn work. Vowell breaks down the slog of history into fun, bite-sized and easily digestible morsels. She does it again in Unfamiliar Fishes, though perhaps with a bit less mastery than she has in the past.


The knowledge that Unfamiliar Fishes presents is fantastic. If, like me, you are largely ignorant of the history of the Hawaiian Islands, Unfamiliar Fishes will give you a treasure-trove of context for your next visit to paradise.


The way that knowledge is presented is, perhaps, not Vowell's best effort. While each individual chapter has a compelling narrative - when its stretched out over the course of the entire book, that narrative loses focus. Perhaps it's Vowell's decision to not commit to a rigid chronological structure, or perhaps the history of America's interaction with Hawaii is simply too varied to fit within a single narrative.


Whatever the cause, about half way through my listen, I realized that I wasn't looking forward to getting in my car and turning on my iPod anymore. The thing that I love Vowell for the most - the clever cloaking of history within entertainment - had gone missing.

Still, I was able to cowboy-up and finish the thing. You'll be rewarded if you do the same. Just be aware that at some points during Unfamiliar Fishes, you might feel a bit like your'e back in school, which, for some of us, is a terrible feeling.

Interesting but a little repetitive

I am traveling to Hawaii for the first time so I wanted to read some history of the islands. This was a good overview but left me lacking in how Hawaii actually became a us state in 1959.

Thank you.

I grew up in Hawaii and am a graduate from Lahainaluna. This account of Hawaiian history is so informative , well researched and comprehensive in a way I didn’t learn in school. Worth a second listen! Thank you Sarah!

Not bad... just dull

I love Sarah Vowell and I've read several of her books.... but I found this one to be drier than some of her others and I really struggled to get through it.

Good moments but not her best

Although the work does contain Vowell's humor and often skillful and in-depth examination of the historical record, my sense is that the topic overwhelmed her a little and it's not as well-organized as her other work. The lack of a focus on one individual makes the narrative jump around and sometimes seemed a very dry recitation of dates and data. Vowell would go on to correct that by focusing on Lafayette in her next work "Lafayette in the Somewhat United States," a far superior book which not only holds together narratively but has a much greater emotional impact. Also, since this was her first book written during the Obama administration, I was hoping she would talk more about Obama, the nerd POTUS she dreamed of during the jock G W Bush administration.
In any case, I quite enjoyed the celebrity voices, especially Keanu Reeves.

Charming read!

If you love Hawaii and "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart," here's your book. I didn't know much about Hawaii's history, and Vowell combines her wonderful research with a modern twist. Fun experiment having other voices read the quotes, which enlivens the book.