Betrayal of Liliuokalani: Last Queen of Hawaii, 1838-1917

Exhaustively researched, written very well, with enough respect while still maintaining an historian's eye, this biography is a testament to Queen Lili'uokalani's brief reign as Hawaii's last monarch. Entrusted with Lili'uokalani's story by the Queen's hanai daughter, the author does not pull any punches and gives a really detailed look not only of the culture of the Hawaiian islands at the time, but the political tidal wave building thanks to the haole's who took over the land. The result is a beautifully balanced portrait of a Queen who loved her people, loved her land, but was powerless against the forces she faced. Lili'uokalani, in the end, was a dignified, peaceful compassionate ruler who had her flaws. In short, the author not only creates a vivid biography of a queen, but also of a human being struggling to do what was right for her people and her Kingdom.

If one were to compare the American overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy with the overthrow of many other governments by the United States throughout the last 120 years one will find that it was relatively benign. There was little bloodshed, and Queen Liliuokalani was not killed, contrary to some erroneous assertions in some historical texts. But her overthrow was an illegal, immoral act, which should never be forgiven, no matter what "justifications" are given for it. It was brought about by a small collection of greedy thugs who, with the backing of an American military contingent, toppled a government that had the support of the people of the Hawaiian Islands. This criminal act was one of many that were to occur over the next one hundred years, with later ones increasing with severity and brutality as the years went past. This book gives an overview of the demise of the Hawaiian monarchy from the standpoint of the journals and anecdotes of Queen Liliuokalani (at least the ones that survived the destruction of manuscripts and papers by the gang of ruthless haoles in the provisional government). It is a sad and troubling story, but the author of the book is careful to keep the reader's attention throughout the book with emphasis on the historical context in which Liliuokalani lived. It is very important to understand the cultural backdrop in which the immoral overthrow took place. To provide more insight into this culture, or at bare minimum to assist the reader in understanding the words and dialect at the time, the author provides a glossary of words and their approximate meaning in English. For example, a `haole' is a foreigner, whereas a `moi wahine' is a queen, but the author reminds us that a queen to the Hawaiians at the time did not have the same conception as it did to Americans (then and now). A queen for the Hawaiians was more like a matriarch possessing wisdom but not projecting rigid or harsh authority of the type that Americans will not tolerate. In fact the author argues that the translation of moi wahine into "queen" is completely incorrect, and doing so reinforced American prejudices against Liliuokalani. Those readers, such as this reviewer, who were ignorant of Liliuokalani's life will be surprised to learn that she wrote many songs, including the very popular "Aloha Oe", which ironically has become immortalized in the American consciousness, with the assistance of Hollywood and its exploitation of the Pearl Harbor disaster. She also was a deeply religious person, and even flirted with Mormonism at one time. This is indeed ironic since it was the missionaries who initiated the troubling series of events, taking place over many decades that were to cost the Hawaiians their culture and government. But one must not think that they lost their self-respect or honor by the fact that their government was taken over by a band of thugs. After a formal apology was given to Hawaii by the United States in 1993, a plaque was placed in a

Well reasearched--with ample footnotes--this account not only paints a vivid portrait of a loving and sometimes flawed Queen, but also gives an introductory overview of the Hawaiian culture and monarchy from the time of Kamehameha the Great all the way through Queen Lili'uokalani's aborted reign. A vital piece of Hawaiian history that is well crafted and, while not perfect, ventures to paint a truthful portrait of the time and place.

This is an excellent and well documented biography of Hawaii's last queen. Helena Allen tells the story of Liliuokalani and through her eyes we view the waning days of the Hawaiian monarchy and the oligarchy that would manipulate the media and congress to eventually affect the annexation of the kingdom to the US. Much of this story makes your blood boil. Yet beyond the political injustice, this is a story of a woman in conflict with her times, who manages to weather the storm with grace, dignity and aloha. It's a story that needs to be told and is a must-read for anyone interested in Hawaiian history.

This book provides a fascinating insight to the last days of the monarchy of Hawaii as seen through the eyes of its last quuen and her hanai daughter. The book is well-documented and a must-read for anyone interested in Hawaian history.I came away with a sense of awe that one who had been so mistreated could find forgiveness and practice aloha until her death.