A Song for the Stars by Ilima Todd

A Song for the Stars by Ilima Todd is an unusual and fascinating romance novel. It was inspired by the true story of a British sailor marrying a Hawaiian princess in the late 1700s. The author is a descendant of John Harbottle and Papapaunauapu, who had eight children. Ilima Todd grew up on the island of Oahu.

The author weaves together some historical facts that occurred at different times to make the novel tighter and more informative. For example, Captain James Cook is present in the book, but he visited the Pacific islands at a different time than John Harbottle. She also used her imagination to detail the courtship of her ancestors. The novel focuses on two people from two different cultures learning to understand each other.

Although A Song for the Stars is part of Shadow Mountain’s Proper Romance series, it is more of a historical novel than a traditional romance. While the couple do end up together, their courtship is an unusual one. Only at the very end does it even become possible for them to marry. Not only must the princess and the sailor learn to work together, so must the Hawaiians and the British. The author uses Hawaiian words to help set the scene, and a helpful glossary is included at the end.

If you enjoy learning about other cultures and watching as two people come to know, respect, and love each other, you may enjoy A Song for the Stars. It will be released in April 2019 and will be available at the Galesburg Public Library.

Devil-Devil by Graeme Kent

Devil-Devil is the first book in the Sister Conchita/Sergeant Kella mystery series by Graeme Kent. The books are set in the South Pacific in the Solomon Islands (the most famous of which is Guadalcanal). It’s the early 1960s, and World War II is a recent event that still affects the islands and the islanders.

My father was a Marine who fought in the Solomon Islands during World War II. He always wanted to go back for a visit, although he never did. I don’t know much about the Solomon Islands but love reading mysteries, so this series intrigued me.

Ben Kella is a sergeant in the Solomon Island Police Force. He is also the “aofia,” or spiritual peacekeeper, of the Lau people. This dual role causes much conflict with the locals and the colonial authorities. Sister Conchita is a young American nun who expected to be sent to South America (hence her choosing of Conchita as her new name) but instead finds herself at a Roman Catholic mission station in the Solomons. She is assertive and outspoken and often has to remind herself to take confession when she insists on having the last word.

The two meet in the course of an investigation and form a mutual appreciation and loose friendship. I expect that friendship grows in later books in the series. Both are interesting characters with a lot of room for development.

Graeme Kent ran an educational broadcasting service in the Solomon Islands for eight years, so I assume he is writing from his firsthand knowledge of life there. The different cultures, languages, and traditions mentioned in the book were a bit confusing but still fascinating. The mystery is not as important as the representation of the islands and the islanders. Kent shows great respect for both. I recommend Devil-Devil to readers who enjoy learning about other countries and cultures as part of the plot.

The Galesburg Public Library owns the three books that have been published in the series so far. They can be found in adult fiction under the author's last name, KENT.