The Descendants

By: Kaui Hart Hemmings

Narrated by: Jonathan Davis

Length: 9 hrs and 9 mins

Publisher's summary

Now a major motion picture starring George Clooney!

Matthew King was once considered one of the most fortunate men in Hawaii. His missionary ancestors who came to the islands were financially and culturally progressive - one even married a Hawaiian princess, making Matt a royal descendant and one of the state’s largest landowners. But now his luck has changed. His two daughters are out of control - 10-year-old Scottie has a smart-ass attitude and a desperate need for attention and 17-year-old Alex, a former model, is a recovering drug addict. His thrill-seeking and high-maintenance wife, Joanie, lies in a coma after a boat racing accident, and will soon be taken off life support.

The King family can hardly picture life without their charismatic mother, but as they come to terms with this tragedy, their sadness is mixed with a sense of freedom that shames them - and spurs them into surprising actions.

©2007 Kaui Hart Hemmings. All rights reserved. (P)2010 BBC America Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"Matt's journey with his girls forms the emotional core of this sharply observed, frequently hilarious and intermittently heartbreaking look at a well-meaning but confused father trying to hold together his unconventional family." ( Publishers Weekly)

"[An] audaciously comic début novel.... Hemmings channels the voice of her befuddled middle-aged hero with virtuosity, as he teeters between acerbic and sentimental, scoffing at himself even as he grasps for redemption." ( The New Yorker)

Heartbreaking and warming at same time

Emotionally raw. Matt’s transformation is palpable. Didn’t want to turn it off. Will the movie be as good?

Satisfying

What did you love best about The Descendants?

Everything. The characters are flawed and interesting. I don't know that I would be friends with any of them but I enjoyed their story.

What other book might you compare The Descendants to and why?

None that I can think of.

Have you listened to any of Jonathan Davis’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, but I look forward to hearing more from him.

Who was the most memorable character of The Descendants and why?

Probably Matt King.

A Hawaiian Kama'aina, this revisit was mainly a joy.

I can't recall what year Kaui Hart Hemmings book was released, but in Hawaii we talked about its 'fictional' parallel to actual family estates and those ohana* effected. I remember enjoying the book. Many in Hawaii did, it was a hit. Then came the movie, very well done imho, except it planted mainland’s George Clooney in my brain rather than a local Hawaiian Kama’aina* that would have been more appropriate. Still a relatable story to millions in and out of Hawaii, thats probably the appeal of Mr Clooney. Years/decade(s) later, i was simply in the mood to revisit a well loved book during a full day of driving. I appreciated Audible offering this title. My only important criticism is the narrator really butchered Hawaiian words and names! Really? Is it that difficult to find a narrator familiar with the very easy Hawaiian Language?! Hawaii has plenty of AFTRA males able to do this job. I still enjoy the story, so it was so sad that I literally physically cringed at each disrespectful butchering of common words! A Hawaiian based story requires a narrator familiar with the pronunciation of the text-period! Sadly each cringe stayed with me to the point where I can NOT recommend this title only for the poor narration….so sad for a wonderful well loved story. *NOTE: Ohana* is Family; Kama’aina* is anyone, of any race, who’ve lived in Hawaii full time for a long time (decades, generations, etc); Hawaiian Language has 1/2 size alphabet compared to English, but its fluency is hardly necessary for the low number of importantly relevant words in this book, just correct pronunciation.

Powerfully written. Sadly honest.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Descendants?

I greatly enjoyed all of the family dynamics, but I really liked the portions of the book with adolescent Scottie and her father, Matt. I felt author Hemmings really captured the painful change from innocent childhood and super-sexualized teen years, and what a struggle it is for fathers to suddenly see their young girls become budding young women.

Have you listened to any of Jonathan Davis’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Jonathan Davis was a smart, wry narrator -- it made perfect sense that the character he voiced (the protagonist, Matt King) would be played by George Clooney in the film adaptation. This was the first audiobook voiced by Jonathan Davis that I've heard.

If you could rename The Descendants, what would you call it?

Heartbroken in Hawaii -- cheesy, right? But that pretty much sums it up.

Really Amazing

What did you love best about The Descendants?

This is one strong and amazing story. A father trying to reconnect with his children and come to terms with losing his spouse (who, he finds out, was leaving him all along). Beautifully written and deeply touching. Highly recommend.

Just ok.

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I don't think so. The charcters were not very compelling.

What was most disappointing about Kaui Hart Hemmings’s story?

I really didn't grow to like the mother, around whom the plot revolved.

Which character – as performed by Jonathan Davis – was your favorite?

The father.

Did The Descendants inspire you to do anything?

No.

Any additional comments?

Disappointing.

Off beat story about family

What did you love best about The Descendants?

It was essentially a story about the bond of family, but told in an unconventional way to show how a family can evolve and grow stronger even in the face of conflict and tragedy. The story is told well, the themes are subtly revealed through truly endearing characters.

Who was your favorite character and why?

It wasn't so much one character but the combination of the father and his two daughters.

Any additional comments?

The plot was certainly interesting but it was the characters that brought this story to life. The author really takes you through the mind of a father as he juggles many complex emotions, and most are not easy. Yet somehow through everything that happens, his story is not tragic at all--listening to the story is a heart warming experience, not a sad one.

Not what I expected

What did you like best about The Descendants? What did you like least?

The narrator was fine. I just did not enjoy the story. I thought it would have more story of the descendants of Hawaii.

What was most disappointing about Kaui Hart Hemmings’s story?

I would have like it more if were a historical fiction-but it is a contemporary story.

A Descendant as well

This is a well written entertaining story... believable and relatable... humorous. And performed well... a man reading the parts of little girls and tough old men... with perfection! One bit of constructive criticism.— some of the Hawaiian words are pronounced incorrectly.
I’d fix that.

Not what I expected

Once I saw the cover I realized I'd seen the movie and was nervous about what I remembered about the movie. The book held no resemblance to what I thought I saw in the movie (though my memory may have failed me). I found the book realistic, well written and engaging.