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THE Valentine's Day sweets offered by Maui author Toni Polancy won't add a centimeter to anyone's waistline.
By Stephanie Kendrick
Star-BulletinA mythic quality infuses the stories she tells in "Hawaii in Love," a selective history of romance in the islands.
The book begins by relating the amorous legends of ancient Hawaii and their tone carries through to the modern love stories told to the author by friends, and friends of friends.
In the chapter "Imagine," Polancy tells of Ka'aiali'i and Kaala, whose love for each other doomed the couple to be sealed under the sea in Lanai's Spouting Cave.
"Hawaii in Love,"
By Toni Polancy, Barefoot Publishing,
paperback, 168 pages, $15.95.
The story of Herbert and Lehua Weatherwax ends much more happily. But their tale, told in the chapter titled "Then came missionaries," also turns on fate. They meet by chance at the home of a kupuna at the precise moment when both are looking to marry, pledge their lives to one another on the spot and have been married 50 years. And for a mystical touch, there's the story "Kisses from heaven" in the chapter titled "And now us." In it, a wife returns to her husband for one last reassuring goodbye kiss after her death.
Polancy's book embraces Hawaii's reputation for romance both in the stories she shares and a section on resources for those looking for love in the islands, or looking to keep love strong.
Her journalism background is evident in the tightly written stories, which are a delight to read, as well as the reference section, which was genesis of the book.
The author included a guide to romance in the islands in her first book, "So You Want to Live in Hawaii." The publishers argued it was too frivolous for its weighty pages, but Polancy insisted it be included.
The chapter generated so much interest, Polancy was inspired to research her next book."Our continuing interest in romance and it's influence fascinates me," Polancy writes in her author's note.
"Who we love, and how, dominates our lives," she writes.
Many of the stories in "Hawaii in Love" are entirely upbeat. The Weatherwaxes are responsible for another happy union, many years after their own. "From Russia, comes love" tells the tale of Herbert's reunion with a Russian soldier he met briefly in World War II. When the soldier's daughter visits Herbert and Lehua in Honolulu, she falls in love and marries a kamaaina.
But some of the stories have a bittersweet flavor. In "Kisses from heaven," John is stricken by the loss of his wife of 63 years to Alzheimer's. The coroner has just left with her body when he feels kisses, first at the tip of his nose, then at his ear and then on the top of his head, long Linda's invitation to make love.
The historical accounts tend to err on the side of romance. For example, Bernice Pauahi and Charles Reed Bishop are described as living in "ideal marital happiness," an assessment some historians would question. But the section also contains some of the most powerful stories in the book
The resources guide pales next to the love stories. At times it degenerates into downright corniness. But its best bits are likely to be particularly appreciated by visitors. For example, explanations are given for the significance of origami cranes and flowers behind the ear, among other things.
All in all, Polancy's book offers a charming alternative for the Valentine looking to think outside the heart-shaped box on this Hallmark holiday.
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