“Two vanishing races…the Boston Brahmin and the pure Hawaiian.”

Book Review:

Reviewed by Mary Whipple (AUG 04, 2009)

When Bostonian John Quincy Winterslip is sent to Hawaii to retrieve his elderly Aunt Minerva, who has stayed with relatives in Hawaii long past the time she (and they) had originally intended, he fully expects to return home quickly. Though his family tree has long had “wanderers,” one of whom has settled in Hawaii, John Quincy knows HE is far too sensible to succumb to Hawaii’s charms. His Boston Brahmin roots, his successful investment business, and his “appropriate,” family-approved fiancee are all luring him back home.

Shortly after his arrival in Honolulu, however, his uncle Dan Winterslip, with whom he is staying, is murdered in his Waikiki home. Assigned to investigate this murder is Honolulu Detective Charlie Chan.

First published in 1925, The House Without a Key broke new ground in American publishing by starring an Asian detective. Charlie Chan is clever and thoughtful–and he is also committed to maintaining his own culture, not simply “passing” in the ha’ole world which has dominated Honolulu ever since American Sanford Dole and the “sugar barons” inspired the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy in the 1890s. Like most of the kama’aina (new residents) who have come to Hawaii since then, the Winterslips are somewhat arrogant, believing themselves entitled to privileges not accorded to native Hawaiians and those of other races.

As the investigation unfolds, author Earl Derr Biggers creates a vibrant picture of Honolulu in the 1920s, contrasting it, on several occasions with earlier less complicated, city life–before the army, navy, and merchant marine turned Honolulu into a busy port filled with foreigners and new residents. Definitely not hard-boiled in his style, he celebrates Hawaii in all its tropical splendor–its beaches and soft moonlight, its glorious flowers and lush growth, its warm and sensitive people, and its multicultural ambience.

Some inherent racism, seen here on the part of the Winterslips when they meet Charlie for the first time, reflects the times. Biggers is more culturally sensitive than most other writers of the period, however, and in Charlie Chan he creates a unique “hero” who goes on to star in five more novels after this.

The murder investigation is surprisingly complex, and the mystery and suspense are fully developed. The narrative speeds along and keeps the reader completely absorbed. Though Biggers did not intend his novel to be read as a satire, his Boston Brahmin characters, read in the present day, however, are so extreme in their belief that Boston is the center of the universe that modern readers will chuckle, if not laugh out loud, at their sometimes absurd dialogue and behavior. Loads of fun to read, this mystery is surprisingly modern in its complex structure, with a unique and charming hero in Charlie Chan.

AMAZON READER RATING:	from 6 readers
PUBLISHER:	Academy Chicago Publishers (October 2008)
REVIEWER:	Mary Whipple
AMAZON PAGE:	The House Without a Key
AUTHOR WEBSITE:	Earl Derr Biggers
EXTRAS:	Reading Guide and Excerpt
MORE ON MOSTLYFICTION:	Another classic obviously influenced by the Charlie Chan series: The Cape Cod Mystery by Phoebe Atwood Taylor And the modern Asian as detective: A Loyal Character Dancer by Qiu Xiaolong Bad Traffic by Simon Lewis The Pearl Diver by Sujata Massey The Wages of Zen by James Melville

Bibliography:

Charlie Chan Novels:

• The House Without a Key (1925)
• The Chinese Parrot (1926)
• Behind That Curtain (1928)
• The Black Camel (1929)
• Charlie Chan Carries On, (1930)
• Keeper of the Keys (1932)

Other:

Seven Keys to Baldpate (1913)
Love Insurance (1914)
The Agony Column (1916)

“You have endured much. You have suffered much. You will suffer more, and you will endure that as well.  Is this not what it means to be Korean?”

Book Review:

Reviewed by Katherine Petersen (MAY 22, 2009)

At least at the beginning of the 20th century, Korean fathers prized their male children as they would carry on the family name. Female children, whose sole purpose is to serve their brothers, fathers and husbands, languish without an education. This partly explains how the protagonist in this novel was named Regret. Not satisfied with her lot, Regret longs to read, write, learn English and not live in the shadow of her male family members.

She jumps at the opportunity to move to Hawaii and marry a Korean man as a “picture bride.” Rumors abound that the streets of Hawaii are paved with gold and her husband-to-be has the wealth to provide her a better life. But when she and four other Korean girls arrive in Honolulu, they find themselves promised to shabbily dressed laborers. Regret’s best friend, Sunny, opts to return to Korea immediately, but Regret and her remaining three companions, raised under Confucian strictures, resign themselves to making the best of their circumstances. Much to Regret’s dismay, her new husband gambles away his wages but still expects her to buy food and prepare meals. When Regret starts to work in the fields to afford food, he beats her for embarrassing him.

Although she finds it difficult to go against Confucian values, Regret runs away from the cane fields to Honolulu proper, taking refuge as a seamstress with a community of prostitutes. She changes her name to Jin and fits in well, mostly because she doesn’t pass judgment on anyone. She shows the depth of her strength of spirit in her willingness to buck tradition.

Through Jin, Alan Brennert offers us a way to see into the life of an immigrant woman in early twentieth century Hawaii. She represents the lives of Chinese, Koreans and Japanese alike. While in Korea under Japanese rule, Jin and many Koreans despised them. But in America, she learns to make the distinction between Japanese and Japanese-American. This is just one example of her growth from a naive girl to a strong woman in both experience and spirit. Through Jin, we also experience racial tension between “locals” (including Hawaiians and Orientals alike) and the richer whites on the island.

Alan Brennert portrays a Hawaii rich with historical detail and vivid descriptions as he did with his previous novel about Hawaii, Moloka’i. He has chosen a strong character in Jin to describe the lives of many picture brides. Some became successful and some did not; some learned as they went along and some did not; but in using a character of such inner strength, he can show us the rewards for accepting challenges, overcoming barriers and making the best of one’s circumstances. He provides a large supporting cast of friends, employers and community members of all races, giving a bit of insight from different perspectives. I loved learning about the different traditions of Jin’s young life in Korea, but the middle and end of the books sometimes got bogged down in secondary characters and details, but not enough to take away from my enjoyment. Many of the stories and characters came from real life—especially some of the most flamboyant and heroic and fans of historical fiction will drink these up with gusto.

Brennert does meticulous research, and it shows in the rich descriptions of characters and places alike. It’s as easy to imagine Jin’s home in Korea, her boat trip in steerage to Honolulu and the hut she shared with her husband in the cane fields. Brennert has built a reputation on his fluid writing style and ability to share life experiences with his readers through the eyes of his characters, and Honolulu is no exception.

AMAZON READER RATING:	from 448 readers
PUBLISHER:	St. Martin’s Press; 1 edition (March 3, 2009)
REVIEWER:	Katherine Petersen
AVAILABLE AS A KINDLE BOOK?	YES! Start Reading Now!
AUTHOR WEBSITE:	Alan Brennert
EXTRAS:	Reading Guide 100 years history of Koreans in Hawai’i
MORE ON MOSTLYFICTION:	Read our review of Palisades Park Moloka’i

Bibliography:

• Kindred Spirits (1984)
• Time and Chance (1990)
• Her Pilgrim Soul and Other Stories (1990)
• Moloka’i (2003)
• Honolulu (2009)
• Palisades Park (April 2013)