Hula A Novel
Hula A Novel by Lisa Shea, published by Norton in 1994, is a first edition that spans 155 pages. The narrative unfolds through the eyes of two young girls in the early 1960s, exploring their family backyard, which serves as both a playground and a prison. The lush, secretive environment sparks their imaginations while simultaneously revealing unsettling aspects of their home life, including a war-haunted father and a distant mother.
Readers will find a poignant exploration of childhood and family dynamics as the story progresses over two sweltering summers. The younger sister’s perspective highlights her older sibling’s ritual taunts, their mother’s increasing withdrawal, and their father’s volatile temperament. As the girls navigate their emerging sexuality, the tension within their parents’ marriage escalates, creating a backdrop that is both voyeuristic and surreal. Shea’s lyrical prose delves into the complex intersection of adolescent fantasies and the darker realities of family life.
Official synopsis Publisher
For two young girls in the early 1960s, the family backyard is both playground and prison. Steamy, verdant, cloistered – the yard’s secret places tantalize the imagination, but also reveal disturbing glimpses of a war-haunted father and dreamy, distant mother. The younger sister narrates, introducing us to her older sister’s ritual taunts, her mother’s increasing withdrawal, her father’s volatile temper. Told over the course of two hot summers, the story builds in power and portent as the girls’ sexuality surfaces and the parents’ marriage strains toward its end. Voyeuristic, at times surreal, Shea’s lyrical first novel probes the dark corner where adolescent fantasies and terrors converge.
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