April 20, 2026

A much-anticipated sequel in Kanaka contemporary fiction pulls readers deeper into a story of identity, family and the generational choices that shape who we become.

“Waking in a Sea of Dreams” by Lurline Wailana McGregor rejoins the journey of Moana Kawelo as she raises her own family, tracing her genealogy alongside her ʻaumakua manō. Its prequel “Between the Deep Blue Sea and Me,” where Moana returns to Hawaiʻi for her father’s funeral, earned the American Indian Library Association’s 2010 Best Young Adult Fiction award. Inspired by her own homecoming after years on the continent, McGregor expands the story into a deeper exploration of ancestry and how the decisions of one generation ripple across time.

“In Hawaiian storytelling, there are so many levels,” McGregor said. “I love…contemporary storytelling because it brings [us] closer to understanding what we’re dealing with today.”

Steeped with kaona, where meaning exists in layers, the story traces how choices ripple across generations. Each character’s decisions reveal how ʻike and memory are carried, reinterpreted and, at times, challenged.

McGregor’s approach is grounded in both influence and intent, drawing inspiration from works like “Whale Rider” and the writing of Rodney Morales, whose stories of growing up in Honolulu affirmed the importance of local voice and lived experience.

“For ʻŌiwi audiences that read Hawaiian literature, I think it gives them a better understanding of their own culture and a pride that this is worthy of writing about; it’s validating in a lot of ways,” McGregor said.

That purpose is reflected in Kamehameha Publishing’s broader effort to grow the Kanaka canon. Its director Ākea Kahikina KSK’11, who first read McGregor’s debut as a high school student and now serves as editor for the sequel, sees the latest book as a piece of that work.

“We have a kahua of publications but now we’re finding the gaps — the hakahaka — where each book can add another stone for the next set of moʻolelo to sit on,” Kahikina said. “We are building the kahua for people to stand firm.”

For both McGregor and Kahikina, the goal is not just representation but depth: stories that reflect the complexity of Hawaiian identity over time.

“What are the Hawaiian perspectives on identity, diaspora, privilege, class, secrets and how have those conversations changed from then until now,” Kahikina said. “We hope through each generation, it gets more advanced and more nuanced.”

In that way, “Waking in a Sea of Dreams” does more than continue Moana’s story. It adds to a growing body of work that affirms Native storytelling as both record and guide, connecting past, present and the choices still being written.

“Waking in a Sea of Dreams” is now available through Kamehameha Publishing.