Winner, Benjamin Franklin Silver Finalist Award for Popular Fiction
Independent Book Publishers Association
“If you’ve never been to Hawaii, this novel will take you there. If you’ve been there and love it, this novel will reveal things you never knew about our fiftieth state. If you have no particular interest in Hawaii but just want to experience a countdown to cataclysm in a tropical setting, this is one highly recommended thrill ride of a book.”
– Huffington Post
“Set amid the beauty, volcanoes, and intrigue of Hawaii, Daughters of Fire is an original novel exploring the meeting point between cultures. . . . An engaging saga of suspense, crafted with a deep understanding and appreciation for Hawaii’s unique history and culture, Daughters of Fire is highly recommended.”
– Midwest Book Review
“Set on the island of Hawaiʻi, Daughters of Fire keenly captures the boiling point of long-simmering tensions between traditional lifestyles and Western development.”
– San Francisco Chronicle
“Places come alive for the reader on every page of this taut, deftly constructed novel. . . . Peek is a storyteller extraordinaire, cut from an older cloth seldom seen today.”
– The Contemporary Pacific
“This is a book about power and justice . . . one of the most factually aware novels I’ve come across.”
– Maui Time Weekly
“The rifts in the earth at Kilauea volcano are mirrored by the rifts in local society in Tom Peek’s debut novel Daughters of Fire, and although it’s a work of fiction, there are forces at work that anyone who lives in today’s Hawaiʻi will recognize.”
– Hawaiʻi Public Radio
“Tom Peek has lived a life worthy of Melville, Twain and Stevenson. . . . The book, with multiple plotlines . . . has drawn comparisons to Michener’s Hawaii. . . . A portrait of Hawaii with an unflinching realism absent in tourist brochures.”
– Hawaii Tribune-Herald
“Daughters of Fire offers a window into the complex reality of life in contemporary Hawaiʻi. Tom Peek’s understanding of place, culture, and current issues is deep and respectful without being heavy-handed. . . . This is a terrific read.”
– Maile Meyer, founder of Native Books / Na Mea Hawaiʻi
“An epic tale . . . a mystery of social and political discord . . . a story steeped in culture, mythology, and spirituality. . . . I am very excited to see what he does next.”
– HawaiiReads.com
“Daughters of Fire tells the story of modern Hawaii, with its political problems and controversies. Peek brings it to life through his experience and knowledge, gleaned from years of studying with local Hawaiians and living among them as brother and friend. . . . He shares this knowledge and perspective with the reader in a far more knowledgeable and detailed manner than other writers who visited Hawaii occasionally, such as Michener and Robert Louis Stevenson. . . . Find the mystery, adventure, excitement, and wisdom from this must-read novel.”
– Journal of Humanitarian Affairs
“Vividly imaginative in its storytelling, yet stunningly accurate in its rendering of Hawaiʻi’s history and contemporary scene . . . Tight, gripping drama that exalts the power and mystery of nature over the supremacy of man. For anyone who can see and feel and know there is sacred all around us.”
– Nelson Ho, past chair of Sierra Club’s Hawaiʻi Chapter
“As someone who grew up on the Big Island of Hawaiʻi, I appreciate that the book honored the island and its local people. It was hard to put down.”
– June Kaililani Tanoue, Kumu Hula (hula master) of Halau I Ka Pono in Chicago
“An enthralling ride that introduces the reader to virtually all the forces at work in Hawaii today. From the historical to the scientific, the spiritual to the political, to corruption and eruptions, this carefully researched thriller MUST be made into a film!”
– Victoria Mudd, Academy Award winning producer of “Broken Rainbow” and “Tibet: Cry of the Snow Lion”
“A page-turning thriller on the surface, a deep meditation on culture one level down, a spiritual tour-de-force at the core.”
– Monk Yun Rou (Arthur Rosenfeld) award-winning author of A Cure for Gravity, Yin: A Love Story and numerous other novels.
“Drawing on years of experience living and working with Native Hawaiians, Peek takes us into the spiritual and cultural depths of Hawaiian traditions, masterfully presenting a worldview that deserves our consideration as rampant development threatens to destroy traditional cultures worldwide.”
– Dr. Edwin Bernbaum, author of Sacred Mountains of the World
“If it is dynamic, strong women you like in a story, then this is going to be a favorite.”
– Sheryl Lynch, Librarian, Hawaiʻi Public Library in Waianae
“Earthquakes, volcanoes and a romance in paradise . . . Daughters of Fire hits the trifecta of a South Seas adventure.”
– Dr. John C. Dvorak, critically acclaimed author of The Last Volcano and Mask of the Sun
“Like a local plate lunch special, [Daughters of Fire is] a mix of many different genres, an unexpected combination of flavors and tastes that work well together.
– Lehua Parker, author of One Boy, No Water and Nani’s Kiss
“This was definitely a book I couldn’t put down . . . a wonderful read—full of neat vignettes of Hawaiʻi ‘socio-politics’ and good adventure.”
– Dr. John P. Lockwood, author of Volcanoes: Global Perspectives
“The action never slows as danger and conflict build, right up to the explosive ending. . . . I highly recommend the book to anyone who loves these islands and the people who inhabit them.”
– Laurie Hanan, author of Almost Paradise and other Hawaiʻi mysteries
“Daughters of Fire . . . takes off where Hawaii by James Michener ended. It’s an emotional, terrifying, and inspiring look at this land that has moved so many to its paradise atmosphere and possibilities. Notable fiction!”
– Vivian Crystal Book Reviews
“Tom Peek has created a glimpse into contemporary Hawaii with Daughters of Fire while holding tight to the traditional aspects of the lives of the Kanaka Maoli. . . . Mahalo Mr. Peek for your fantastic story, and for bringing this glimpse into my native cousin’s world to everyone outside of Hawaiʻi.”
– YouGottaRead.com
“Peek’s prose flows through the pages with all the rhythm and feeling of the old Hawaiian legends. . . . This one is a treasure and definitely deserves more exposure and should garner many more readers.”
– ABookAddictsMusings.com
“Tom Peek is a master of the art of storytelling . . . [He] leads the reader in a page-turning journey through Hawaii-nei as the protagonist attempts to restore balance in her newly imbalanced world. . . . You will enjoy this wonderful story.”
– Karen’s Corner Book Reviews
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