Discover the story of Hawaii James Michener Never Told
"Exceptional...Mesmerizing...Eye-Opening"
Nighttime 1748. Hawai‘i Island (the Big Island), North Kohala... A child is born in a grass house. Outside, a raging storm muffles his first cries. Soldiers are hunting him. Their king has ordered his death because a priest has prophesied that the infant will become a “slayer of chiefs.” But he is spirited away to a remote valley before the soldiers can find him. He will become Hawaii's greatest warrior and Hawaiian history's most memorable figure.
When he is a young man, strange, pale visitors come from beyond the horizon. While other Hawaiians mistake their leader for one of their gods—returned to them in fulfillment of a prophecy—he recognizes these newcomers as men. He’ll use their guns and steel to defeat a succession of rivals for rule of the Big Island and then rest of the island chain, put an end to centuries of fratricidal warfare, and forge his people into a new kingdom that will withstand the rising threat of Western encroachment for the next eighty years. Today Hawaiians remember him as "the Conqueror" Kamehameha the Great.
Critical praise for Once There Was Fire
Midwest Book Review: Original, exceptional, entertaining, and with a meticulously detailed attention to historical accuracy to enhance an inherently fascinating work of creative fiction, Once There Was Fire by Stephen Shender will hold a particular appeal to readers with an interest in biographical and historical fiction set in the context of Hawaiian history and the coming impact of the Europeans and Americans upon the natives and native culture. A deftly crafted saga from cover to cover, [the] hardcover edition of Once There Was Fire from Pai'ea Press is especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as community and college/university library Historical/Biographical Fiction collections.
Publishers Weekly: An "eye-opening chronicle of the Hawaiian kingdom."
Historical Novel Society: "The descriptions of phenomenal storytellers, feast makers, drinking contests, blood bonds, sacrifices of prisoners, polygamous relationships, remarkable physical prowess in sport and war, military strategies that guarantee success or failure, and so much more fill these pages into what one can only call a mesmerizing saga."
About the author
A 12-year journey from inspiration to publication
Stephen Shender became fascinated with the story of Kamehameha the Great during his first visit to the Big Island in 2004. He was surprised to discover that no author of adult historical fiction, not even Hawaii author James Michener, had told Kamehameha's story before. Shender, a former newspaper reporter, political and corporate speechwriter, and marketing communications writer who'd always wanted to write a novel, decided he would. Little did he know it would take him another 12 years to draft, edit, and publish his novel. "Fools rush in," he quips.
A native-born Chicagoan, Shender is a veteran of the "Windy City's" frigid winters and steamy summers, and an appreciative resident of California's temperate Central Coast.
Explore the book
Nighttime 1748. Hawai‘i Island (the Big Island), North Kohala... A child is born in a grass house. Outside, a raging storm muffles his first cries. Soldiers are hunting him. Their king has ordered his death because a priest has prophesied that the infant will become a “slayer of chiefs.” But he is spirited away to a remote valley before t
Nighttime 1748. Hawai‘i Island (the Big Island), North Kohala... A child is born in a grass house. Outside, a raging storm muffles his first cries. Soldiers are hunting him. Their king has ordered his death because a priest has prophesied that the infant will become a “slayer of chiefs.” But he is spirited away to a remote valley before the soldiers can find him. He will grow to become one of the most significant figures in Hawaii history, known as Hawaii’s greatest warrior. When strange, pale visitors come from beyond the horizon, and other Hawaiians mistake their leader for one of their gods—returned to them in fulfillment of a prophecy—he’ll recognize these newcomers as men. He’ll use their guns and steel to defeat a succession of rivals for rule of the Big Island, and then the rest of the island chain, ending centuries of fratricidal warfare, and founding the Kingdom of Hawaii. This tale of historical fiction centers on Hawaii's chief of war, Kamehameha the Great.