Author Event – Kuleana with author Sara Kehaulani Goo

You know we don’t open on a Monday without good reason, so you know this is an event you don’t want to miss!

We are excited to host journalist and author Sara Kehaulani Goo to discuss her debut memoir- Kuleana. Joining Sara in conversation is local reporter Monica Eng. Together, they’ll explore Sara’s story and the journey to sharing it. There will be discussion, audience Q&A, and a chance to have your book signed by Sara.

For folks interested in learning more about Hawai’i, displacement, and maintaining your connections to family, community, and culture.

We’ll be providing copies of Kuleana for sale at the event. This is a FREE event.  Tickets are not required- but definitely help us plan (linked below).

About Kuleana:

Kuleana is journalist Sara Kehaulani Goo’s debut memoir about her family’s effort to save their ancestral lands on Maui, and find herself along the way. When Sara’s father gets a surprise property tax bill that has gone up 500% on land that has been in their family for more than 175 years, it puts a drama in motion to force tough decisions about what to do and what the land means to them.

Sara returns to Hawai’i seeking answers to her family’s history with the land and reports on her incredible discoveries – from ancient artifacts on a centuries-old heiau (temple) on the property, to original documents from King Kamehameha III. She learns that her family’s story tells the larger story of the Native Hawaiian people and the near loss of their culture, land and language. Meanwhile, living in Washington, D.C., she finds a surprising reconnection to her culture through a newfound practice of hula. Sara discovers the meaning of kuleana, the Hawaiian word for responsibility, about what we owe those who come before us and those who come after us.

About the Author:

Sara Kehaulani Goo is a journalist and senior news executive who has led editorial teams at Axios, NPR, and The Washington Post. Her debut memoir, Kuleana, is a deeply personal and powerful reflection on family legacy, Indigenous land rights, and identity. She lives in Washington, D.C., and is originally from Dana Point, California.

About the Moderator:

Monica Eng is an award-winning reporter. She has worked in Chicago journalism for more than three decades starting at the Chicago Sun-Times and moving to the Chicago Tribune and WBEZ. She has served as an Axios Chicago reporter since the summer of 2021.