The book on the shelf of the The Helen Mitsui Shared Blessings Thrift Shop caught my eye. “Kauai: In the Eye of Iniki,” by Myles Ludwig. Published in 1992, this photo essay clearly revealed two things: One, Hurricane Iniki was powerful enough to cause immense destruction; Two, it wasn’t powerful enough to destroy the aloha spirit on Kauai.
The book, “dedicated to the brave people of Kauai,” is filled with amazing pictures. Yes, lots of damage — flattened homes, toppled trees, downed power lines and poles, crushed cars and debris everywhere. There are looks of despair and anguish and frustration and uncertainty. But more telling, perhaps, are the pictures that reflect the resolve, the determination, and the strength of the people of Kauai at the time. And yes, in the following days of recovery, the pictures show people laughing, smiling, sharing and rising up together, flashing the shaka.
There is a full-page picture of JoAnn Yukimura, then the island’s mayor, with a quote from her on the facing page: “It broke my heart … I salute you, the people of Kauai, for your courage and your perseverance. I thank you for your wonderful spirit … Kauai has shown the world how aloha can really work …”
I have heard a lot about Hurricane Iniki. I have seen pictures. But this book presented them in way that depict in amazing detail the way things were, the destruction, and the way people rallied together. It’s a wonderful tribute to those who were here, what they endured, how they stood together and how they came back.
The $1 I paid for this book might just be the best dollar I ever spent.
Ludwig did two things very well in this book: He assembled gripping photos from many photographers, including his own. And, in a short essay at the beginning of the book, Ludwig’s words were touching and telling:
“The island will heal; it will return to its former grandeur. Some two weeks after Iniki, I was in Kokee with my friend Richard Moore. As we drove up the winding road, a black wild board scurried across our path. At the Kalalau Lookout, flowers were blooming. We could make out a few goats on the browned slopes of the valley below. And when the mist cleared, a sky painted endearingly by the kind of magnificent sunset we used to take for granted, was revealed.
“It was, after all, still Kauai … still paradise.”
If you come across this book, which is a rare find, buy it.
•••
Bill Buley, editor-in-chief, can be reached at 245-0457 or bbuley@thegardenisland.com.
