The Essence of Time: Pule O'o

Like a compelling painting rich with color, Christine Sabado's intimate memoir illustrates her love for all things Molokai; her life, the culture, and her soon-to-be husband and his family. Written in descriptions as lush as the island itself, the author takes a highly personal voyage as she is seduced by the ways of her adopted Filipino lifestyle on a pineapple plantation. Written from her perspective as a Southern California transplant, Christine learns and embraces the fused cultural norms of East and West, the "das how" to live one's life. She appreciates the soft, respectful approach to oneness and pono (balance) with the island and the warmth of the people with whom she shares the aloha spirit. Readers follow along as Christine introduces superstition and belief, new languages, the moods of the sky and sea amid the flower-scented air, a history that details adversity, tragedy, and hope, and the passion she embraces for her husband in this love story in a new land. Christine Sabado, the author says, "'In time I chose to see Molokai and the camp as an intricate bird's nest. All the leaves twigs and other material had been gathered to ensure this unique nest was pono and ultimately Hawaiian. Whatever was placed into this warm, protected nesting space would be pono as well.' This quote captures the Hawaiian host culture that embraces all who touch these Molokai shores. Join me in this discovery."