An End to Innocence

About the Book

An End To Innocence is a coming-of-age novel of the growth of Hawaii´s people following the momentous changes in Hawaii caused by the rapid development and transformation of the Islands following Statehood in 1959.

Kelia starts out an average, middle-class, part-Hawaiian, part-Japanese, sheltered high school graduate who experiences tremendous growth as she relocates to the residence and dance studio of Nalani Wai, a perfectionististic hula teacher, her mother insists she take lessons from.  She relocates also to be able to have access to the campus of the University Of Hawaii at Manoa, in Honolulu on the Island of Oahu.  At the University Kelia becomes embroiled in political issues as well as the usual, ongoing relationship difficulties of young adulthood.

By the time Kelia endures passionate but failed relationships with, in order of their occurrence, Orrie Robinson, a handsome Marine from the Southern United States, Leonard Aoti, a young, egotistical times-sales expert from her home town, and Lyle Carnarvon, a gorgeous and dedicated political activist from the mainland, she is ready to devote her life to mele hula, meli oli, the ancient chant and dance of her Hawaiian culture.  However, she has not counted on Keokolo Kane, a talented part-Hawaiian professor of Commerce at the University.

With Orrie Robinson, Kelia experiences the highly-charged emotions connected to a woman´s first passionate infatuation with a member of the opposite sex.  With Leonard Aoti, Kelia fantisizes about the stylish home and adorable children young women are enculturated in American society to desire.  With Lyle Carnarvon, Kelia experiences the mind-altering experience of becoming embroiled in a cause greater than your own selfish desires. With Keokolo Kane and the great hula teacher, Nalani Wai, Kelia becomes more in touch with her Hawaiian identity and learns to attune to the wisdom of the Hawaiian Ancients.  She also learns not to live vicariously through a member of the opposite sex but to to create her own identity and choose her own life purpose.

About the Author

Rosemary I. Patterson, Ph.D. is a retired School Psychologist whose interests include Identity Achievement (who am I and what am I going to do with my life) in Adolescence. After a visit to Hawaii in 1988 she hypothesized that the Identity Achievement task would be more complicated in a multi-cultural population. The result has been five novels dealing with Identity Achievement in Hawaii. The other four novels include “An End To Innocence,” set in Hilo, “Aloha And MaiTais,” about Honolulu entertainers in the 1930's, “Kuhina Nui,” about King Kamehameha’s favorite wife, and “Kula Keiki Ali’i,” about the Chief’s Children’s School that in 1840 educated the children who would become monarchs of Hawaii.