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Having finished the book, I would have a few reservations about the collection. I still feel that the opening title story is very fine indeed. I don’t think that any of the other works match it; they tend to be “tales” rather than coherent literary short stories. Often they have a tendency to ramble from one idea to another but give a very vivid picture of the society in Hawaii that was undergoing cultural shifts.
Despite any shortcomings in structure the tales still have entertaining moments. “The Bones of Kahekili” and “When Alice Told Her Soul” are comedies, the former being the more successful. “The Water Baby” stands out for its remarkable and rather mystical approach to the clash of the old and new in Hawaiian culture. It was written only a month before London’s death. “Shin Bones”is a rather grotesque piece and “The Tears of Ah Kim” is another story based on the clash of old and new. The final piece, “The Kanaka Surf” has the makings of a fine story but takes too long to get to the point.
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