A coming-of-age tale set in 1970s Hawai‘i, where identity, politics, and spirit collide.

My debut novel, Pono and Aloha vs the Zero-Sum Game, is a coming-of-age story wrapped in political awakening, ancestral reckoning, and a quiet revolution of the soul. Set in 1974 Hawai‘i, it follows a teenage girl navigating cultural dislocation, moral complexity, and the ghosts (literal and figurative) of colonization.

The novel explores questions of fairness, modernization, and what it means to live with integrity in a world built on systems that divide and consume. Grounded in Hawaiian history and guided by the values of pono (righteousness, balance) and aloha (love, compassion, interconnectedness), the story challenges the pervasive logic of the zero-sum game — the idea that for one to win, another must lose.

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What readers are saying:

“A beautifully written, thought-provoking, entertaining and rewarding novel.”
— Amazon reviewer

“An amazing first novel! I’m looking forward to her second!”
— Amazon reviewer

“A thoughtfully presented journey of a young girl entering an adult world and coming to terms with it in her own way.”
— Goodreads reviewer

All posted online reviews have been 5 stars. If you’ve read the book and feel moved to leave your own reflection, I’d be honored.

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Why I wrote it:

I grew up in Hawai‘i, the daughter of a political scientist and a fierce observer of systems. I’ve lived a dozen lives since — on stage, on the road, in cities and spaces where belonging was a question mark. This novel is my love letter to all those who feel displaced, disillusioned, or driven to ask: What if the world could be otherwise?

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If you’ve already read the book, thank you. If you haven’t, I hope you’ll take a look.
The system may be rigged — but the spirit of pono and aloha still insists on something better.

You can find my story here.