Review by Booklist Review
In alternating story lines about the only female codebreaker assigned to Hawaii in 1943 and a journalist covering the celebrity-studded opening of a luxury resort in 1965, Ackerman (Radar Girls, 2021) brings the lush and rugged beauty of the islands to life. Isabel's brother and best friend kept her safe through the tornado that killed their mother. After he is killed at Pearl Harbor, Isabel goes to work for the navy, and her exceptional codebreaking skills send her to the Dungeon, an underground facility on the Big Island, where she is the sole woman. Her off-work social life involves surfing, exploration, and parties with her late brother's best friend, Matteo Russi, and her roommate, until Gloria disappears. Lu, originally from Kona, is sent to cover a special pro-opening celebrity week at Lawrence Rockefeller's spectacular Mauna Kea Beach Hotel for Sunset magazine. There Lu meets Matteo, a world-famous photojournalist, and Joni Diaz, a renowned singer, disappears. Beautifully structured and well-told with authentic historical detail, interesting relationships, and the mystery of two young women who go missing from the same spot 22 years apart, this is another top historical novel by Ackerman.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
