First published 2020
Seven-year-old Nainoa Flores tumbles from a cruise ship into the Pacific Ocean during a family vacation near Kailua-Kona, Hawaii in 1995. Sharks surround him in the water, but instead of attacking, one carries him safely back to his mother. His family believes the rescue signals divine protection from Hawaiian gods, and Nainoa soon displays strange new powers that seem to confirm their faith. Years later, the family has scattered across the mainland. Nainoa works as a paramedic in Portland, struggling to understand his growing abilities. His older brother Dean pursues college athletics in Washington, chasing wealth and recognition. Their younger sister Kaui studies in California, determined to escape their family's mystical legacy. When supernatural forces strike the Flores family again in Hawaii, the tragedy forces all three siblings to confront what binds them together and what their heritage truly costs.
Genres: literary-fiction, contemporary, magical-realism, family-drama
Vibes: intimate, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, Portland, Washington, California
Period: 1995, Years Later
1 pages · Audio CD · Recorded Books, Inc. and Blackstone Publishing