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I've had this book sitting on my shelf since I was a little girl. I'm not really sure why I never finished reading it, but I thought, after finishing Alan Brennert's "Moloka'i," the time was right to give "Kaiulani" another try.

Ellen Emerson White's "Kaiulani: The People's Princess, Hawaii, 1889" is a tale following the life of a princess that could have been queen. This story, told in the form of Kaiulani's diary, is rich with historical facts and interspersed with both real and fictional characters. The diary spans a few years, its story following the historical events of the annexation of Hawai'i.

As a historical novel, I enjoyed the historical research evident throughout the novel. White used the Hawaiian language well--there weren't so many foreign words that the reader could get confused, but when she did throw in Hawaiian words, she explained them well without dumping too much information on the reader. A lot of the Hawaiian words I learned (and re-learned) in "Moloka'i" were echoed in this novel, which is evidence of good research on the part of both White and Brennert since the Hawaiian words and their definitions matched up in both books. Honestly, the parts I enjoyed most were at the back of the book: the historical note, the photographs, and the Hawaiian language index (which would come in handy if I were to ever write a story about Hawai'i!). As far as reading this book for purely educational purposes, it's a great read.

However, I didn't enjoy this book as a novel. As a work of fiction, the story line didn't work for me. Even though Kaiulani had a goal, her goal wasn't accomplished (I feel comfortable giving this away since these facts are written in history). And if there's anything I've learned from my professional writing class, it's that most readers want a complete and happy ending. Sometimes I'm the exception to this rule--I love vague and ambiguous endings (especially in film!). But I was not the exception this time--I was very disappointed with the ending. I felt shorted on the story. I do respect White's decision to end the story on a historically accurate note, but I think I would have enjoyed a happy, fictional ending better.

Moreover, since the story is told through the eyes of a teenage girl, there was bound to be a little bit of angst and whiny-ness involved. After all--no matter the year or the place, a teenage girl is always a teenage girl. But to me, this account of Kaiulani's character came across as overwhelmingly whiny and spoiled. Because of this, she just wasn't a very sympathetic character, in my opinion. (But what average American girl can relate to a princess?)

Even though Kaiulani didn't exactly accomplish her goal in the story, at least she learned a lot in the process--she traveled to many places, received a superior education, and maintained loving relationships. I feel as though this a story that truly reflects how life is sometimes--we may not achieve our dreams, but we can keep learning and loving. And maybe that's all we can ask for sometimes.

I would recommend "Kaiulani" to children who want to learn about Hawai'i. The read goes by quickly, and it's entertaining enough to keep the reader interested long enough to learn a lot about Hawai'i's history.
I would also recommend this to elementary school teachers who might present this book as a part of their history curriculum.