Lava

By Pamela J. Ball and Pamela C. Ball

Book Overview

Kinau's life is shaped by the stories and feral energy of her mother (a woman of many husbands) and by the always hovering and jealous presence of the gods. Revenge for a boy's accidental death calls for a bounty on sharks and results in a fishing frenzy. Tidal waves have wreaked havoc, and will again. A volcano carries its own portentous message. And finally, there is Hawaii itself, source of loss, risk, and possibly salvation.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0393333361
• ISBN13: 9780393333367
• Release Date: January 1980
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• Length: 196 Pages
• Weight: 0.48 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.0" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Beautiful, sad, lovely tale

**** This novel is a story of obsessive love, full of sad, moving moments, and so well-written. It was enjoyable beginning to end. What I enjoyed most about it was the real main character of the story, though---Hilo, Hawaii. The sounds, scents, and beauty of Hawaii was poignantly described in a way that drew me in from the very first page and made me love Hilo. Although I'd visited Hilo, I didn't truly appreciate it until I read "Lava". If you love Hawaii and want to get to know it better, if you want to read a different type of romance, you'll really enjoy this novel. ****

breathtaking

Pamlea Ball's novel is a subtle and beautiful work set in Hilo, Hawaii, simply one of the best books I have ever read...

IMAGINATIVE

I love this book! - and like the first reviewer I tend to give it as a gift to all my literary friends. The setting - Hawaii - is wonderful, the characters memorable and the rhythm of the dialogue is great. I would definitely buy another book by Pam Ball.

In the heat of September, my Book of the Year!

I found this novel recommended by Terri Windling in this year's BEST OF HORROR AND FANTASY anthology (Number 11). I tend to like genre-benders, fiction that has an element of fantasy or unreality and Windling has proven to be a reliable source for many.At less than 200 pages, this brilliant, stunningly written, often hallucenogenic novel by Ball, a teacher of writing at Florida State, is a compelling afternoon's read.Sharks, tropical flowers, Tsunanis, mythology, and a theme of loss make for a potent, sensuous blend in a lush tropical Hawaiian atmosphere.I fully intend to get all my great reading friends to read this one. A remarkable first novel.