Ano Ano (the seed) for Wai-nani: A Voice from Old Hawai'i

Let Me Take You There

Ano Ano (the seed) for Wai-nani - A Voice from Old Hawai’i took root in my heart when I lived on the north shore of Kauai.  I became smitten with the great personage of Ka’ahumanu, the childless bride who was the favorite wife of Kamehameha the Great. This was in the late 70’s, a time when women were breaking the traditional mold. Ka’ahumanu faced down the all–powerful priests and ended the 2,000-year-old kapu system that called for harsh penalties for infractions. Writing the story of this empowered woman, mostly overlooked by western historians, became a beautiful obsession.

Ka'ahumanu

Readers of Wai-nani are amazed at the authentic detail and depth of my research. I went to most of the places described in my book, including the sacred Waipio Valley now closed to overnight stays. I hiked across the smoldering floor of Iki Crater in Volcano National Park, and spent hours in The Place of Refuge on the Big Island trying absorb the mana of the ancestors. I read old and new chronicles on Hawaiian history, spent hours at Bishop Museum and hired a Hawaiian scholar to read my manuscript. In short, I did everything in my power to stay true to the culture and re-create an authentic portal into a world that is lost to us now.

Place of Refuge

Free shipping and a copy of Wai-nani's Wayfinder-a map to sacred sites on the Big Island if you purchase Wai-nani on my site www.LindaBallouAuthor.com