By turns lyrical and gritty, a moving family story focuses on the aftermath of miracles.From its opening pages, this debut novel juxtaposes the realities of life for a working-class Hawaiian family and the mysticism of the Native culture that shapes them, with surprising results. Augie and Malia and their childrensons Dean and Nainoa and daughter Kauifind their lives forever changed when, during a boat tour, little Noa falls overboard and is rescued by sharks, unharmed, as witnessed by a boatload of passengers. It's an echo of old legends that is reinforced a few years later when the boy heals an accident victim's injuries (although his mother offers an origin story that suggests he was marked by the old gods from conception). Noa's gift is a source of both wonder and cold hard cash, not to mention a baffling burden for a kid. In chapters narrated in turn by each member of the family, the siblings grow up, Dean and Kaui always feeling they are in their brother's shadow, all of them balancing on the edge of poverty. Dean is a talented athlete, Noa and Kaui top students, and Augie and Malia manage to send all three to the mainland for college. But with the family fractured, all of them struggle, and only some find redemption. Washburn's prose is lush and inventive; a native of Hawai'i, he portrays the islands and their people with insight and love. He skillfully creates distinct voices for each of his narrators: resentful Dean, wisecracking Kaui, happy-go-lucky Augie, and Malia the true believer: "The kingdom of Hawai'i had long been brokenthe hot rain forests and breathing green reefs crushed under the haole commerce of beach resorts, skyscrapersand that was when the land had begun calling. I know this now because of you." That "you" is Noa, sweet and bighearted and wrecked by his unasked-for powers. Their stories go in unexpected directions, from hilarious to heartbreaking.Striking style, memorable characters, and a believably miraculous premise add up to a beautifully crafted first novel. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Washburn's standout debut provides a vivid portrait of Hawaiian identity, mythology, and diaspora. This family chronicle opens in 1995 Honok'a as the seven-year-old Nainoa Flores falls from a ship, only to be rescued and returned to his parents by sharks. This seminal event in the lives of the Filipino-Hawaiian Flores family marks Nainoa for life as the "miracle boy," even as his parents struggle to turn a profit on their sugarcane plantation. As things become more desperate, Nainoa and his violent older brother, Dean, and adventuresome younger sister, Kaui, leave the island to seek their fortunes on the mainland. Dean embarks on a promising career as a basketball player in Spokane only to wind up in trouble with the law, while Kaui discovers her sexuality in San Diego, and Nainoa becomes an EMT in Portland, Ore. Poised halfway between their cultural upbringing and hopes for the future, the family is riven by a horrific tragedy that will test them to the breaking point. Though perhaps overlong, Washburn's debut is a unique and spirited depiction of the 50th state and its children. (Mar.)

Augie and Malia are raising three children in their native Hawaii: basketball prodigy Dean, free spirit Kaui, and miracle son Nainoa, who fell into the ocean during a boat ride in childhood, and was lifted and saved from the water by a pack of benevolent sharks. His salvation becomes the stuff of legend. People travel from far and wide to harness his energy and good fortune for their own healing. Later in life, Nainoa becomes a paramedic, repeatedly conjuring his mythical magic to revive the unrevivable. After Nainoa is unable to save a young mother and child, he faces an existential crisis and returns to Hawaii to soul search. Alone, he journeys deep into the jungle and doesn't return. With Nainoa missing, the rest of the family struggles to understand their dynamic as a unit and their identities on their own. Perfect for fans of Little Fires Everywhere (2017), by Celeste Ng, Washburn's debut is an unforgettable tale of family, heartbreak, and healing, and his prose is lyrical and fresh.--Courtney Eathorne Copyright 2020 Booklist