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An intensely lonnn.....ng but beautiful read, this one ! :) :)

Six chapters, that have their own throughput.

From the Boundless Deep, is such a well-put story of the process of how the geological forces through their temporally long ages brought forth into being the beautiful islands that would be later called as 'Hawaii'. :)

From the Sun-Swept Lagoon, is the story of the people of the Polynesian Islands, their fights, their gods, their ideas, and how they (from the island of Bora Bora) eventually became the first to inhabit the Hawaiian islands.

From the Farm of Bitterness, speaks about the intrusive oncomings of the Christian missionaries in the early 1800s, and how they later play their part in transforming the Hawaiian's 'old' ideas into 'new'. The sea-voyage of the ten missionaries to Hawaii from Boston, around Cape Horn (the southern tip of South America) was a very interesting part indeed.

From the Starving Village, describes the continuing transformation of the Hawaiian society, but now with the influx of immigrating Chinese from their starving villages of their homeland, to work on the pineapple and sugar plantations. Contains quiet a few pages dedicated to the effect on the society after leprosy reached the islands, and its related happenings on the island leper colony of Molokai. This was scary, sad, and extremely touching. But so much worth reading and knowing, and understanding what people have gone through. That is the best part of a historical-fiction over typical history non-fiction.

From the Inland Sea, covers the Japanese immigrants on the Hawaii Islands, and how they are set to replace the Chinese Workers. Also contains the bombing of the Pearl Harbour, and how the Japanese on the islands fight for America in the Second World War in Europe.

The Golden Men, deals with how the commingling of various peoples in Hawaii in the past, have produced something called as 'The Golden Man', someone who now has a different way of thinking than his progenitors. Four such Golden Men have been described in this chapter, narrated from a POV of one of them. This chapter also covers the changes that are brought about in the culture, economics, and politics of the society of Hawaii, mainly brought about by intermarriages between groups.

Overall, I loved the book, but certain places became slightly boring. However this was due to monotony and my personal interest of matters laid within the scope of the book. Michener's writing style, is no doubt, smooth, rich, vivid, sweeping, and terrific! Covers several areas: Geological, Sea-Voyages, Shamanism, Christianity, Migrations, Feudalism, Democracy, Poverty, Disease, Suffering, Progressiveness, Economics, Politics, War, Marital Bondings and Familial Lives, etc. Based upon all of this, 5-stars to the first four chapters (the first 2/3 of the book) and 4-stars to the final two chapters (the final 1/3rd of the book).

If compared, although I am a hundred percent satisfied with "Hawaii", as far as enjoyment goes, Alaska and The Source are the titles which I enjoyed quite more than this one. :)

"Hawaii" was Michener's first epic writing of extravagant length, and for a start at that time, I would say it deserves a Big Thumbs-Up !! :D