The Sound of Hilo Rain

Stories From a Small Town

On the eastern side of the Big Island of Hawai‘i, the rain comes in tandem with the trade winds from the northeast and drenches the land from Kohala on the north to Ka‘ū on the southern point of the island. At night the sound of the gentle rain falling on the leaves of trees and on the palm fronds is nahenahe (sweet and soft), loving and romantic, stirring the heart and soothing the soul. In Hilo, the sound of the rain—like the two major rivers, Wailuku and Wailoa, that flow from the deep, unpopulated interior of the island into Hilo Bay—is the unconscious soul of Hilo.

Nurtured by rain swept in on the tradewinds, the town of Hilo is fertile ground for this heartwarming Big Island memoir. Populated by the colorful characters of small-town Hawai‘i, here are tales of plantation stores and swimming holes, of childhood pranks and lessons learned. From ghosts in the night to the devastating tsunami of 1946, native son Roy Kodani recalls the joys and sorrows of coming of age in a simpler time.

Author: Roy Kodani
Softcover, 200pp
Release Date: December 2014

Available in e-book format!