Father of the Four Passages

I no caya wot da buggah wit da highmakamaka words said, like anyting else yo'readem yo'ownself & decide. So wot if somebody wen talkstink about dis book. Eh titamoke, dis was hud fo'read. At first. Anden lilobit by lilobit, I wen gettum' o'maybe not but da point is I wen buy da book & readem'. I tink peoples got all huhu ova dis book cause was all intense wired kine mana'o hah. Faka tree(3) misscarriages I would be nuts too and az witout da drugs. Add drugs, auwe big time pilikia. Frikas trute hurt yeah. Peoples prolly piss off at TitaLoisAnn; da way peoples stay piss off at me fo'writing all hammajang la dis as not propa English. And... Yeah and my English teachas stay all doing 360's in dey grave but as okay cause dey wen teach me/us and I/we wen learn even do no look like cause us no sked make our own. LOL Hele on, hana hou write somme moe! KULIA

On a recent afternoon my wife lost her purse in the KTA parking lot. Next day lunch time "Loke" calls to let me know she found the purse in a trash can. I pick it up in a Wainaku walk up parking lot from a young man with no shirt & tatoos who I gave a reward to pass on to the young lady that called. All the purse contents had been removed and neatly put back in the wrong order. Cash gone. Credit card had been used unsuccessfully at a gas station. But, thanks for the return. Whats the point? I don't know exactly, but I got a glimpse into a very different world from my own. Like Sonia Kurisu who struggles so desperately with challenges most of us don't even want to think about, but author Yamanaka delivers it to us raw to deal with. I was judgemental, disgusted, angry, confused, and eventually bored as Sonia's massive blunders unfolded. And her "father", hoo boy. Indeed, if the only purpose of "Father of the Four Passages" was to make the reader hate a loser drug addict abusive failure of a human being, I would not waste my or your time writing this. But, the story had, well, an ending... Only those of us lucky enough to hit a personal rock bottom and survive will probably understand Sonia's redemption. Author Yamanaka has somehow conveyed this feeling of revelation to me with mere words on paper. The light! For this I give her book my highest rating. Thank you.

I've never experienced such a work in my entire life. The use of fervent Christianity, symbolism, paranormal experiences, and emotional instability result resonate through my emotions. The surreal images were heartbreakingly beautiful when combined with the grittiness of seedy strip bars and junkies smacking up in filthy apartments. The experiences are intensified with the parallel surroundings of oceans versus Las Vegas. At first, I sat there reading it, racked by the explicit violence, hatred, and sadness, but soon I became numbed to the beauty of Hawaii and the heartache of Sonia Kurisu. I've never read another work by Yamanaka, but after reading this book, I believe I'll go look around for more. Definately try this book.

Many people who read this book will miss and not appreciate the stylistic and artistic virtues of the book. It is not like a typical Yamanaka book that is full of comedy and pidgin english. Rather, the book tells the tragic story of a confused, beaten girl who gets lost in the drug dependent dark world that many of us have seen along the fringes of our lives. Lois-Ann truly expresses the anger and anguish that could be experienced in raising a child with challenges, or for that matter, any child. Most of us don't have what it takes to clearly articulate our deepest, most true inner thoughts openly to the public. This book captures an unfortunate reality of self-induced, attempted, and clinically performed abortions that is a part of the life experiences of some people. It is a reality that many choose not to see, as is unsafe sex. Father of Four Passages tells a story of a life that may be foreign to many of us. It is a very difficult book to read, both emotionally and artistically. The triumph and freedom of light in the end, is like a chapter in our lives. We live in valleys and hills, but must have the bravery and stamina to climb the tops of mountains to overcome adversity and see the light.

I have read all of Lois-Ann Yamanaka's books and I have to say that this one was the most difficult to complete. Not because it wasn't good but because it was far more painful than the rest. Ms. Yamanaka has always portrayed hardship in its most raw form, however in this novel she makes the reader endure the pain of her characters without the benefit of the love and closeness that were interspursed in her other novels. Despite this difficulty, this novel is well worth reading. Ms. Yamanaka's ability to hold the reader's eye open through the most painful moments is truly artful. It is the readers ability to endure the pain of the characters that makes the end of the novel even more beautiful.