Ten Movies and Books Set in Hawaii
As soon as you hear “Hawaii”, you probably start picturing paradise: an idyllic beach scene with volcanoes looming in the background while you wear flips flops in the white sand, listening to the blue waves hitting the shore and palm trees waving above, enjoying a mai tai (or two).
While those scenes definitely exist (I can send you some pictures), there is so much more to these islands–there are sea turtles and traditional sacred luau dancing and probably the most storied military base in the United States and legends of royalty and a long history of explorers and conquerors and hiking and people who live there (I mean, people who really live there and have to deal with all of the usual living stuff).
It’s a beautiful place with a unique culture and a fascinating history and a life that many tourists will never see. These ten books and ten movies are a great way to prepare for a trip, to relive a trip, or to just learn more about this popular destination. (And don’t forget the bonus children’s books and movies set in Hawaii!)
Ten Books set in Hawaii
Freckled: A Memoir of Growing up Wild in Hawaii
Author: TW Neal
Genre: Nonfiction, Biography/Memoir
Places Featured: Kauai, Hawaii
Toby Neal (writing under TW Neal for this book) is a best-selling award-winning author known mostly for her mystery/thriller books (many set in Hawaii including the Paradise Crime series). Freckled, however, is her personal story of growing up on Kauai where paradise isn’t always as easy as it seems, especially when your parents are not ideal. It’s an honest and powerful book–made even better when you know it’s true–and includes some great insight into life in Kauai, especially in the 1960s and 1970s.
Hawaii: A Novel
Author: James Michener
Genre: Fiction, Historical
Places Featured: Hawaii
Pulitzer Prize-winning author James Michener is known for his epic sweeping novels that are well-researched and capture a location’s history. This novel is no different and traces Hawaii’s history from the time the islands were formed through the mid-1950s just before the archipelago became a state. It’s a monstrous book (over a thousand pages!), but you’ll learn so much about the intricate history and the people that created this unique place.
Honolulu: A Novel
Author: Alan Brennert
Genre: Fiction, Historical
Places Featured: Honolulu, Hawaii
Alan Brennert is an Emmy-award winning producer and screenwriter who has found a new calling (and a large fan-base) in writing well-researched and well-written historical novels set in Hawaii (we featured his other famous book, Moloka’i, below). Honolulu is the story of a young Korean bride in 1914 who finds herself in Hawaii, hoping for a better life. Unfortunately, it doesn’t quite turn out like that, but she finds her way–learning about herself, life, and her new home along the way.
Island of Sweet Pies and Soldiers
Author: Sara Ackerman
Genre: Fiction, Historical, Romance
Places Featured: Hawaii
Island of Sweet Pies and Soldiers tells the story of ten-year-old Ella and her mother, Violet, as they deal with the disappearance of Herman, Ella’s father and Violet’s husband during World War II. And, although Pearl Harbor is, of course, included in the book, it isn’t the focus and the story gives even more context to what Hawaii was like during that time. The characters are well-written and the story is engaging…so it’s a good emotional historical story with a beautiful background, but maybe not quite as heavy as some of the others on this list.
Mark Twain’s Letters from Hawaii
Author: Mark Twain
Genre: Nonfiction, Historical
Places Featured: Hawaii
This is a fun way to learn about 19th century Hawaii (then known as the Sandwich Islands)–through the letters of a well-known writer who was sent to Hawaii in 1866 to write articles for a newspaper. Using his trademark wit and ability to describe locations, these letters show just how much Mark Twain loved the islands, the people, and the culture.
Moloka’i: A Novel
Author: Alan Brennert
Genre: Fiction, Historical
Places Featured: Moloka’i, Hawaii
Another dramatic very well-written novel based on history and set in the 1890s, Moloka’i is about a seven-year-old native Hawaiian diagnosed with leprosy and forced to leave her home in Honolulu to live on the island of Moloka’i at Kalaupapa, a leper colony. There, she discovers a new life with friends, family, and love. (The book was so well-received, Brennert wrote a sequel called Daughter of Moloka’i.)
Shark Dialogues
Author: Kiana Davenport
Genre: Fiction
Places Featured: Hawaii
Shark Dialogues is another epic saga that incorporates the history of the islands into an emotional novel about struggle, family, and love. The land itself is a character and the writing is almost poetic with a touch of mystical. Pono, the main character, is the strong and powerful matriarch of a family with many secrets and stories to tell.
Shave Ice Paradise
Author: Mark Daniel Seiler
Genre: Fiction, Mystery/Crime
Places Featured: Hawaii
The author of Shave Ice Paradise is a Kauai-native, so he’s able to give an accurate portrayal of the life and customs on the islands through this mystery that follows Gina Mori, the daughter of a Buddhist minister, as she attempts to solve the mysterious murder of her Aunt. This isn’t your usual detective story (it’s also not a cozy mystery); it’s just a fun way for those looking for something other than historical fiction or nonfiction to explore Hawaii.
The Descendants: A Novel
Author: Kaui Hart Hemmings
Genre: Fiction, Drama
Places Featured: Hawaii
This one is an emotional one, but a good one. It’s the story of the King family–patriarch Matt is a descendant of Hawaiian royalty and owns a lot of land in the state and his two young daughters are dealing with the pains of growing up when his thrill-seeking wife ends up in a coma after a boat accident. In gathering her friends and family to say their final goodbyes, Matt discovers there is one person missing: his wife’s lover. Matt and his two girls then end up on a road trip to find him, but find many other things along the way. (Note: this book was also made into a movie–included below.)
This is Paradise: Stories
Author: Kristiana Kahakauwila
Genre: Fiction, Historical, Short Stories
Places Featured: Hawaii
Life on Hawaii isn’t always flip flops and sunshine. This is Paradise is a collection of powerful short stories written by a native Hawaiian that reveals what life is really like in paradise. It’s an interesting collection of strong characters that will give you a very different–but authentic–perspective on the islands.
Honorable Mentions of Books set in Hawaii:
- Captive Paradise: A History of Hawaii by James L. Haley
- Hawaii’s Story by Hawaii’s Queen by Liliuokalani
- The Curse of Lono by Hunter S. Thompson
- Sharks in the Time of Saviors by Kawai Strong Ashburn
- Shoal of Time: A History of the Hawaiian Islands by Gavan Daws
- Wild Meat and the Bully Burgers by Lois-Ann Yamanaka
Bonus Children’s Books set in Hawaii:
- Hide & Seek in Hawaii by Jane Hopkins
- Malia in Hawaii: Celebrating All the Parts of Me by Tammy Yee
- Maui Hooks the Islands by Gabrielle Ahuli and Jing Jing Tsong
- Shave Ice in Hawai’i by Mariko Merritt
Ten Movies set in Hawaii
From Here to Eternity (1953)
Rating: N/A
Genre: Drama, Romance, War & Military, Classic
Places Featured: Hawaii
From Here to Eternity is an Academy-Award winning movie (including Best Picture) based on a novel by the same name. It’s the story of a military base in Hawaii–just before World War II–where a soldier is trying to find his way in his unit, battling a demanding commander and finding love where he shouldn’t.
Blue Hawaii (1961)
Rating: PG
Genre: Comedy, Musical, Romance
Places Featured: Hawaii
Blue Hawaii is another classic movie about Hawaii, but a bit more light-hearted than the one above. It’s the story of Chadwick Gates (Elvis Presley–dreamy as ever) who has left strict military life and returned home to Hawaii where his family wants him to work in the pineapple business, but he would much rather work as a tour guide with his girlfriend. Oh, if only Elvis Presley were my tour guide!
North Shore (1987)
Rating: PG
Genre: Action/Adventure, Health & Fitness/Sports & Recreation
Places Featured: Hawaii
Rick, a champion surfer from Arizona where he learned to surf in wave tanks, finds himself in Hawaii, hoping to become a professional surfer. Life–and the waves–aren’t quite the same as back home, but Rick soon finds a mentor and local friend to help him figure it out.
Pearl Harbor (2001)
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama, Historical, Romance, War & Military
Places Featured: Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
I almost didn’t include this one because it was not very well-liked by critics, but it was a box-office success and those that do love it, really love it (it did star Ben Affleck, Kate Beckinsale, and Josh Hartnett after all). It’s the Hollywood version (meaning not always accurate) of the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor by Japanese aircraft with a love triangle at its center. If you’re willing to take it for what it is, you’ll enjoy it.
Blue Crush (2002)
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Action/Adventure, Health & Fitness/Sports & Recreation
Places Featured: North Shore, Hawaii
This list is about Hawaii, so of course there’s more than one movie that features surfing. This one is about three teenage girls figuring out life as they surf along Hawaii’s North Shore. It’s the kind of movie you watch for the scenery and action shots, not necessarily for the acting and storyline (though that actually isn’t that bad either).
50 First Dates (2004)
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Places Featured: Hawaii
50 First Dates is a fun romantic comedy starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore. Sweet Lucy has short-term memory loss where she can’t remember anything from the day before, so playboy Henry must constantly demonstrate his love for her. It’s your typical sweet romantic comedy with a beautiful setting.
*Note from Jen: I had a great time visiting Kualoa Ranch where 50 First Dates (and many other movies) were filmed when I last visited Oahu. I highly recommend this tour!
Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Romance, Self-Discovery/Change
Places Featured: Hawaii
We featured this one on our list of Funny Travel Books and Funny Travel Movies, too. It’s a break-up movie with a talented cast of comedians (Jason Segel, Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis, and Russell Brand). Hawaii is the background for most of the film and there’s a heartwarming ending, so it’s your typical modern romantic comedy–complete with a few cringeworthy “inappropriate” jokes, too.
Soul Surfer (2011)
Rating: PG
Genre: Drama, Action/Adventure, Health & Fitness/Sports & Recreation, Self-Discovery/Personal Change
Places Featured: Hawaii
Soul Surfer is another surfing movie, but this time it’s one based on a true story you may have seen in the news: Hawaii-native teenager Bethany Hamilton (played by AnnaSophia Robb) was surfing when she was attacked by a shark and lost her arm. Her commitment to recovery (and her love for surfing) was inspiring and meaningful for many. It’s a story of survival and faith that will tug at your heartstrings…but for good reason. (Note: It’s based on Bethany’s autobiography Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on Board, which is also highly recommended.)
The Descendants (2011)
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Places Featured: Hawaii
Based on the novel of the same name (included above), The Descendants follows Matt King (played by George Clooney) as he comes to terms with being the father of two sometimes difficult daughters, his wife’s affair, and his wife’s coma/impending death. It’s a powerful movie about love, forgiveness, and family–with beautiful Hawaii as its backdrop.
The Haumana (2013)
Rating: N/A
Genre: Drama
Places Featured: Waikiki, Hawaii
Haumana is the Hawaiian word for students/followers. The Haumana movie is the beautiful story of Johnny Kealoha (played by Tui Asau), the host of a struggling luau show, who finds himself as the teacher of a high school hula class for boys. It’s a feel-good movie with the ideas of family and tradition at its core. Great choice if you want to know more about the hula tradition.
Honorable Mentions of Movies set in Hawaii:
- South Pacific (1961)
- Jurassic Park (1993) (Note: you won’t learn anything about Hawaii in this movie, but it’s a fun classic adventure movie and if you go on a helicopter ride in Kauai, you’re going to see it!)
- The Big Bounce (2004)
- Aloha (2015)
Bonus Children’s Movies set in Hawaii:
- Lilo & Stitch (2002)
- Teen Beach Movie (2013)
- Aloha, Scooby-Doo! (2016)
