The Color of Air

A Novel

By: Gail Tsukiyama

Narrated by: Brian Nishii, Natalie Naudus

From the New York Times bestselling 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.

Well developed characters I came to love

Another Gail Tsukiyama story I thoroughly enjoyed. Well developed likable characters with depth. I found it difficult to put down and tougher to finish reading because I grew attached to the characters and their rich culture .

Very good

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

Beautiful, just beautiful!

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

The characters were so authentic

A wonderful story with a touch of history. The author wove a beautiful tale. I could picture the store and the town while listening.

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.