She closes the book with the observation: Vowell is hopeful, however, that although cultures – like that of Hawaiian natives – are consumed, they never disappear. They know our people are few in number and our country is small, they will devour us (138-139). The white man’s ships have arrived with clever men from the big countries. If a big wave comes in, large and unfamiliar fishes will come from the dark ocean, and when they see the small fishes of the shallows they will eat them up. He would in these latter years of his life, write: Malo’s own life mirrors the complexities of Hawaiian history, growing up as native Hawaiian nobility, but eventually becoming a champion of American culture, who toward the end of his life grew increasing skeptical of American colonialism. The book’s title is borrowed from a quote from a prominent native scholar of the era, David Malo. Thus, her telling of Hawaii’s history in all its complexity has a ring of truth to it she is fascinated by the story of Hawaii and with all the wonder of a curious child, follows it through its many twists and turns. Several generations after the Puritans settled in New England, their ancestors were sending out missionaries all over the world, including – of course – Hawaii.Īlthough Vowell uses her trademark cheeky wit to critique the missionary culture and although she is generally sympathetic to the native culture, she is not hesitant to recognize the flaws of the native Hawaiians as well (perhaps most notably, incest). Although its focus is on a different context, the book is an unexpected but fitting follow-up to her 2008 book about the Puritans, The Wordy Shipmates. Her sixth book, Unfamiliar Fishes, has recently hit the shelves of bookstores, and it follows in the footsteps of her previous books, crafting in a way, a sort of people’s history of Hawaii that depicts the story of how the island land was colonized by New England missionaries and of the eventual fall of the monarchy and the annexation by the United States. She has previously written five books, and in each of them, history plays a significant role. Although she might be most recognized for her distinctive voice, Vowell is also a gifted writer and avowed history buff.

Vowell was a contributing editor for the wildly popular NPR show This American Life for over a decade (1996-2008) she also provided the voice for Violet in the animated Pixar movie The Incredibles.

Buy now: Īlthough Sarah Vowell’s name might not be a familiar one, you will likely recognize her voice, AND especially if you are an avid NPR listener.

Unfamiliar fishes review