The Book You Need to Crack Open for a Taste of the Real Hawaii

(Clinton, CT) When you think of Hawaii, the first images to come to mind are probably the glorious beaches and sunsets, tropical rain forests and hula dancers, but there’s a lot more to Hawaii than meets the casual eye. The islands are rich in centuries of history, a variety of cultures young and old, and a wealth of traditions.

Lee A. Jacobus of Clinton, Conn., has written a new short story collection titled, Hawaiian Tales: The Girl with Heavenly Eyes. Tell Me Press  of New Haven, Conn., will release the book in March 2014. 

Jacobus made his first trip to the islands in 2001. As he conversed with the people he met, he felt compelled to write about “the real Hawaii” he had observed.

Hawaiian Tales: The Girl with Heavenly Eyes is a collection of 14 short stories that look beyond the surface lives of tourists and retirees, natives and transplants, to the joys and mysteries within. Though fictional, each of the stories is based on the people Jacob's met, the places he visited, and the experiences he had both on and off the beaten path.

“My stories are about people seeking some solace and joy, whether as tourists or as people who’ve lived in Hawaii all of their lives. The stories explore the moral center of their characters in their environment and focus, largely, on the inner lives of women and men, young and old, as they confront the realities and challenges of modern life in Hawaii, with all of the expectations and dreams that lead them,” said Jacobus.

“Jacobus's insightful examination of his characters' lives and aspirations is matched by his evocative use of language and the deft architecture of his storytelling. I closed the book with a better understanding of the costs, as well as the dividends, of life in this exotic Pacific paradise,” said Wally Lamb, author of She’s Come Undone and I Know This Much Is True.

In her review, Gina Barreca, author of It's Not That I'm Bitter...and They Used to Call Me Snow White...But I Drifted, says, “Lee Jacobus's new collection of short stories, Hawaiian Tales: The Girl with Heavenly Eyes not only entertains and enlightens—which is what you want from stories set against the backdrop of seductive, complex Hawaii—but also provokes and mesmerizes. Readers will come for the storyline and stay for the wit and lyricism of the writing; they will fall in love with the characters and remember them long after they close the cover of this enchanting and original work.

Hawaiian Tales: The Girl with Heavenly Eyes, will be available for purchase online and at bookstores everywhere. For more information, go to www.TellMePress.com.