Ni-ihau : Pele-s Hawaiian Landfall : a History

The volcanic island of Ni'ihau arose steaming and hissing from the ocean millions of years ago, but by the time the goddess Pele's canoe landed on a golden Ni'ihauan beach its fires were no more. In time Ni'ihau and the other Hawaiian islands were settled by Polynesian people. Then came missionaries and, after them, ranchers. In 1864 Ni'ihau was sold by the king of Hawai'i to the Sinclair family, whose descendants still own it today. Steven Gentry traces all this history and weaves it into an intimate and engrossing account of this intriguing island.