Leis, Love and Lore: Hawai'i in the 1970s - Paperback

by Ellen Van Spyk (Author)

Leis, Love and Lore is a collection of stories depicting half a century of life in Hawai'i. Although book-ended by events ranging from 1968 to 2018, the narratives focus primarily on the observations of a young mother residing on Moloka'i and O'ahu during the 1970s. She offers a unique perspective, finding beauty in sometimes brutal, sometimes humorous, always fascinating, daily life. Taken as a whole, this is a love story. In these pages the reader will find aloha: for people, for new experiences, for animals and nature, for the spiritual elements unseen by human eyes . . . but most profoundly, aloha for the place we call Hawai'i.

Author Biography

Ellen Van Spyk grew up in Wisconsin wishing she was in Hawaii. She has a B.A. degree from Illinois Wesleyan University and an MFA from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Her interest in Hawaiian imagery began when she lived on Molokai's east end during the early 1970s. She has illustrated several books on Hawaiian cultural themes, and taught art at the University of Hawaii at Hilo until 1980. She works in painting and sculptural media, and has participated in numerous juried exhibitions in Hawaii and in the continental United States. Her interpretation of Hawaiian culture and landscapes can be found in many permanent collections including Imiloa Astronomy Center of Hawaii and Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts. This is her first authored book.