She has a previously published collection of short stories TheHouse of Thieves. She graduated fromColorado College in 1998. About the Author: Kaui Hart Hemmings Kaui Hart Hemmings is a Hawaiian of mixed descent like theprotagonist of her novel The Descendants. As he begins to settle his chaoticrelationship with his family, he also has to come to terms with whohe wants to be. Matt gradually begins to identify himselfwith his Hawaiian side. But, as he travels through Hawaii with his daughters, Mattre-examines his heritage. Now, Matt has become thetrustee of a family legacy, which is a huge chunk of primeproperty.

This marriage gave thefamily ownership of a large piece of land. One of his Americanancestors married a Hawaiian princess. Through all this runs another underlying theme - a quest forethnic identity. Meanwhile, he setsoff with his daughters on a journey in which they discover eachother and themselves. By the terms of Joanies living will, she has to be taken offlife-support if there was no hope of recovery. Matt knows that his relationship with Joanie had become strainedover the years, but soon he discovers something else about Joanie.As he learns to confront and accept the truth, he has several tasksat hand. Matt does now know anything about his two daughters - atseventeen, Alex is an ex-model with a drug habit, and 10-year-oldScottie is rebellious and yet desperate for attention. He discovers this when his wife Joanie is seriously injuredin a boat accident and is admitted in the hospital, in a state ofcoma.

Buthis obsession with his work has made him a stranger in his ownfamily. Matt King is a successful and wealthy attorney in Hawaii. He discovers this when his wife Joanie is seriously injuredin a boat accident and is admitte About the Book: The Descendants The Descendants is about a family that is forced to confront their dysfunctional relationships after a traumatic event.

About the Book: The Descendants The Descendants is about a family that is forced to confront their dysfunctional relationships after a traumatic event.

The descendants by kaui hart hemmings