by Joseph Aspell (Illustrator), Wayne Moniz (Author)
Hawaiians fought in the American Civil War? Maui-born author/playwright, Wayne Moniz, set out on a quest to write his first novel and answer the question. Pukoko: A Hawaiian in the American Civil War traces the life of Mo keha from childhood to manhood to accomplished sailore and naval war hero. Despite Hawaii's declaration of neutrality, over one hundred men from Hawai i, embodied in the character of Mo ikeha, were caught up in the bloody current of history, some surviving the ordeal, some receiving their pihi pukoko or red badge of courage, and some never returning to the Rose of the Chiefs - their beloved homeland, Hawai i. Come along on a journey of love and adventure between 1843-1865 with a keiki o Maui and his stops in San Francisco, Mexico, New Orleans, Vicksburg, Richmond, New York, and New Bedford.
Author Biography
Wayne Moniz was born and raised on Maui and received his B.A. in English and Communications from the University of Dayton, Ohio and his M.A. in Theater Arts and Film from U.C.L.A. Dubbed the "Dean of Maui Playwrights" by the Maui News, Wayne received the 2005 Cades Award for Literature, Hawaii's most prestigious writing prize for his body of work that includes fourteen plays, several screenplays, poetry, and song lyrics. In 2010 he was awarded the Ka Palapala Po`okela Readers' Choice Book of the Year given by the Hawai`i Book Publishers Association for his first book of short stories, Under Maui Skies and Other Stories. In 2011, he released his second book of short stories, Beyond the Reef: Stories of Maui in the World. His latest work is a novel - Pukoko: A Hawaiian in the American Civil War.