A Book Born From Fire, Written in Light

In August 2023, as black smoke rose over Lahaina, and a community fought to save each other and their pets, poet Linda Skerbec felt their fear and loss. with a breaking heart — and a calling! In that moment, she knew she wanted to create a lasting contribution for these islands she loved. She had spent years researching and writing poetry about Hawaii: its language, its history, its people, its wonders. Now she would turn that love into a wonderful book about Hawaii that people could hold in their hands and read and understand every word.

All proceeds go directly to Lahaina’s Wildfire Recovery and the Native Hawaiian People

This is not simply an inspiring book about Hawaii; it is a gift that truly captures the Aloha Soul of Hawaii! It is written by a poet who feels the soul of the sand beneath her as she walks barefoot to the Nāpali Coast at sunset and returns in the darkness beneath clearest stars –-by a poet who was given a lifeline by a young Hawaiian who appeared like an angel, put his own sandals on her feet, and led her down a thorny cliff to a black sand beach –-by a poet who watched her young son find and cradle a tiger cowrie against his cheek and gently set it back in its tidepool home so it could grow up just like him.

Since Hawaii wonders flow beyond word, Linda contacted Aaron Feinberg, an intrepid Hawaiian photographer with an inspired ability to capture Hawaii’s play of Light. He generously donated his photography to enhance this book. Paired with Aaron Feinberg’s luminous photos, these poems not only share the wonder of the islands, they let them breathe inside of you.