The Color of Air

A Novel

By: Gail Tsukiyama

Narrated by: Brian Nishii, Natalie Naudus

Length: 9 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

From the New York Times best-selling author of Women of the Silk and The Samurai's Garden comes a gorgeous and evocative historical novel about a Japanese-American family set against the backdrop of Hawai’i's sugar plantations.

Daniel Abe, a young doctor in Chicago, is finally coming back to Hawai'i. He has his own reason for returning to his childhood home, but it is not to revisit the past, unlike his Uncle Koji. Koji lives with the memories of Daniel’s mother, Mariko, the love of his life, and the scars of a life hard-lived. He can’t wait to see Daniel, who he’s always thought of as a son, but he knows the time has come to tell him the truth about his mother, and his father. But Daniel’s arrival coincides with the awakening of the Mauna Loa volcano, and its dangerous path toward their village stirs both new and long ago passions in their community.

Alternating between past and present - from the day of the volcano eruption in 1935 to decades prior - The Color of Air interweaves the stories of Daniel, Koji, and Mariko to create a rich, vibrant, bittersweet chorus that celebrates their lifelong bond to one other and to their immigrant community. As Mauna Loa threatens their lives and livelihoods, it also unearths long held secrets simmering below the surface that meld past and present, revealing a path forward for them all.

©2020 Gail Tsukiyama (P)2020 HarperAudio

Nothing special.

I anticipated too much, I guess, but it was rather boring. Some parts were just stupid like Daniel saving his uncle from the lava flow. No one who lives in the island would do such a dumb tourist trick. I couldn't wait for it to end. So much potential but nothing came to fruition. Sad.
I will always buy books written about the place I was born and lived, but sadly very few achieve the essence of this sacred land. And shame on you, Brian Nishii, for mispronouncing "Kamehameha". I was truly startled.

Not what I expected

I really wanted to love this book, as the story seemed to complement the other books recreating Hawaii’s history (including Mitchener’s “Hawaii”) but it was one of the few that I struggled to finish.

There were too many subplots that never quite resolved, muddied the story and dragged the main plot, such as why the Japanese immigrant field workers were so dedicated to the ancient Hawaiian god Pele. The volcano, as experienced by “locals”, was more surreal than believable.

While local dialect adds character to conversations, the addition of “Yah?” at the end of every sentence uttered was grating!

It was tedious and I was glad when it was finished.

Beautiful, just beautiful!

Narration was fantastic. The nuanced expressions took me right to Hilo Town! Beautifully written story!

Very good

This was a very nice book to listen to. It definitely kept my interest until the end! Thank you

Really enjoyable easy listening

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and it was easy to listen to. I loved the tone of the book and narration—rather than feeling like there are so many details to keep track of, it felt like I was in the stories of the lives of the characters.

It was okay ...

Narrator's voice was soothing.
Story was too predictable.
Details about the Hilo area were a bit "off" so it became hard to relate to a sense of place.

A story about labor

A rich story about immigrant workers. We need more about labor and families. Outstanding narrators.

Being There

Listening to this story is an experience of being there...in the community, with the characters, in that time. You really care about them .

Wonderful narration as well.

1935, a volcano, sugarcane and life.

A lovely look into the immigrant lives who called Hilo, HA home. Your senses are filled with The Color of Air.

Old Hawaii...

If old Hawaii stories are something you enjoy reading, then this book is for you. This book goes deep inside the hearts and minds of those who arrived on the Big Island to work for the sugar mills in the cane fields. It covers friendships, love won and lost, prejudice depending on whether you were Asian or Latino, whether you were considered a field hand or an overseer; and the melding of people from different nations choosing to become family despite hardships and upheavals. A great book that I would read again.