The spirit of Aloha

Pono Market, Tip Top Motel and Cafe, Lawai International Center. Sound familiar? What about Anna Sloggett, Ken Fujinaga or Robert Hamada?

Kaua‘i is not a place so much as a face in Jocelyn Fujii’s latest compilation saluting iconic figures and the people behind small businesses that make the Hawaiian Islands soulful, unique and immortal. Fujii will be signing copies of “Stories of Aloha: Homegrown Treasures of Hawai‘i,” Saturday at Deja Vu surf shop in Kukui Grove Shopping Center and the Qi Center in Lihu‘e.

“Stories help us remember the parts of Hawai‘i that are overlooked,” Fujii said. “These are to me the unsung heroes. They’ve quietly gone about living their lives. They didn’t come to me. I sought them out — the small neighborhood stalwarts — those taking care of our neighborhoods by doing what they do. That’s what makes Hawai‘i great, it’s the people.”

“Stories of Aloha” includes a small sampling of Fujii’s hundreds of stories that appeared monthly in “Spirit of Aloha,” the airline’s in-flight magazine from 1985 to 2008. A year after Aloha Airlines closed its doors, the book revisits remarkable individuals and local mom-and-pop businesses highlighted in its magazine.

“Some of the people have passed on, their businesses long closed, while others may be in their third and fourth generations,” Fujii wrote in the book’s introduction. “In the spirit of remembrance, and in honor of their contributions to Hawai‘i, I have chosen to include some who exist now only in memory. These are profiles of cultural treasures and remarkable individuals who bring inspiration, wisdom and the message of strength and resilience so deeply needed at this time.”

With the help of a team of colleagues and friends, Fujii spent the better part of a year choosing 140 stories to represent all the islands.

“Writing the book was more than fun, it was enriching to acknowledge the courage of these people. They had to overcome so much. The small family business is an endangered species.”

Joining Fujii’s voice are captivating photographs by Brett Uprichard and recipes contributed by Aloha Airlines employees.

 In a world consumed by box stores, “Stories of Aloha” restores faith in the power of personal service and the soul that drives the quintessential ‘mom and pop’ businesses that make the islands unique. Each vignette includes the original date of publication, complete story and an update on the status of the business.

In the forward written by 25 year resident and actor Richard Chamberlain, the heart of the place is the people.

“Their mystical bonds with nature express an inherent spirituality that has fostered a culture of ease, generosity and unfailing hospitality,” he writes.

In a struggling economy it’s easy to be caught in the mentality of lack, yet Fujii asks readers to raise their eyes to a loftier vision of a Hawai‘i that thrives on generosity. The book closes with essays offering the author’s observations on Hawai‘i mainstays like the aloha shirt, healing arts and the tradition of giving lei.

“A lei is a circle of love. Hi‘ilei, “beloved child,” … denotes a mother’s love for the baby that she’s feeding, her arms wrapped around it in a circle. That circle is a lei, a powerful bond, an expression of caring and kinship.

“Stories of Aloha,” is nothing short of a road map to Hawaiian etiquette, tradition and most importantly, the heart of its people.

The book is available through the following vendors: Tip Top Cafe, Lihu‘e; Lawai International Center (call 629-4300); Sueoka Store, Koloa; Pho Vy Restaurant, Kapa‘a; Kaua‘i Sea Tours, Port Allen.

Want to go?

What: Book signing with

Jocelyn Fujii

When: 11 a.m. Saturday; 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday

Where: Deja Vu, Kukui Grove Shopping Center; Qi Center, 3343 Kanakolu St., Lihu‘e

• Pam Woolway, lifestyle writer, can be reached at 245-3681, ext. 257 or pwoolway@kauaipubco.com.