There is a lot of buzz around Sharks in the Time of Saviours, by Kawai Strong Washburn. It was on the New York Times thirteen books to watch out for, and one of Oprah’s 30 Most Anticipated Books of 2020, described as “The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen imbued with Hawaiian mysticism, and you might get a sense of this searing sibling saga about a boy gifted with supernatural healing abilities—and the family who lives in his shadow.”
So is it worth the hype? Absolutely, 100%
In 1995 Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, on a rare family vacation, seven-year-old Nainoa Flores falls overboard a cruise ship into the Pacific Ocean. When a shiver of sharks appears in the water, everyone fears for the worst. But instead, Noa is gingerly delivered to his mother in the jaws of a shark, marking his story as the stuff of legends. It is believed he has been gifted special powers.
Nainoa’s family, struggling amidst the collapse of the sugarcane industry, hails his rescue as a sign of favour from ancient Hawaiian gods–a belief that appears validated after he exhibits puzzling new abilities. But as time passes, this supposed divine favour begins to drive the family apart: Nainoa, working now as a paramedic on the streets of Portland, struggles to fathom the full measure of his expanding abilities; further north in Washington, his older brother Dean hurtles into the world of elite college athletics, obsessed with wealth and fame; while in California, risk-obsessed younger sister Kaui navigates an unforgiving academic workload in an attempt to forge her independence from the family’s legacy.
When supernatural events revisit the Flores family in Hawai’i–with tragic consequences–they are all forced to reckon with the bonds of family, the meaning of heritage, and the cost of survival.
Oh how I loved this book. It is a merging of harsh reality and myth and magical realism, weaved together to create a beautiful, compelling and incredibly haunting novel. Complex themes such as race, class, poverty, and culture drive this family saga. The writing is superb, masterful… immersive. There is a rhythm to it that might take you a bit to get into, but persist. It’s worth it.
The characters are complex and interesting, and I especially loved Nainoa’s mother Malia, one of the book’s narrators. This is a book fundamentally about family and love, and one we all need at this time. It transports you, literally, and haunts you for days after the final page. Love, love, love this book. An absolutely stunning debut from an author we’ll be hearing more from.
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