Talking Location With Sara Ackerman – HAWAII

16th June 2020

#TalkingLocationWith… Sara Ackerman, author of Red Sky over Hawaii – Hawaii.

(Check out the 3-book giveaway at the bottom of this post!)

Ainahou, the real house that inspired the novel

One day many years ago at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (or Volcano, as we call it), I came upon a road I hadn’t noticed before. Blocked by the signature National Park yellow gate, you were only allowed to enter on foot or on bike. Curious, I followed the old, crumbly road down a way. All around me was dryland native forest and patches of rough lava. But pretty soon, I hit a kipuka––an island of older forest surrounded by newer lava flows––with towering ohia trees and lush green grass. Beyond that, I came upon a sprawling old house with a family of nene––Hawaiian geese––hanging out in the shade out front. The house was empty but well maintained, and I was intrigued. When I dug deeper and found the house was originally built as a hideaway house in 1941 in case of a Japanese invasion, I knew I had to write a book about it someday. That book is Red Sky Over Hawaii. 

Image was taken near the Devastation Trail

The setting for Red Sky Over Hawaii was especially fun to write because Volcano is one of my favorite places in the world. I have been going there since I was young and have spent a lot of time exploring every single trail in the park, from Mauna Loa road, to Halema’uma’u (Kilauea’s main crater), all the way down Chain of Craters road to the coast where the lava flows out to the sea. I know it like the back of my hand. In my book, I wanted to give the reader the same feeling I get when I’m there, and the sights and sounds and smells, whether it be the crunch of lava underfoot, the whirring of the wings of the honeycreepers (tiny forest birds), the cool and dense fog that rolls in, or the scent of the sulphur that permeates the air. Because I’ve spent so much time there, I didn’t have to research much about the place, but I did have to look back in time to see what it was like in 1941. As it turned out, there was a lot happening! It was National Guard headquarters and a detainment camp, and the military did extensive training and patrolling in both the summit area and the vast Ka’u desert.

Kilauea Volcano is the most active of the volcanoes on the Big Island, and has been putting on spectacular shows and building new earth for eons. The most recent eruption of 2018 happened a few weeks after one of my research visits (I live two hours away), and sent ash plumes miles into the air, opened fissures all along the East Rift Zone that fountained hundreds of feet, and generated hundreds of earthquakes a day. But that doesn’t even compare to past eruptions that sent lava over a thousand feet up. I hope to get to see something like that one day, but who knows when the next eruption will happen. Within the boundaries of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is the Volcano House, a classic lodge built just before the war and perched at the edge of Kilauea caldera. One of my favorite things to do when I’m there is to sit in the rocking chairs at sunset and look out over Halema’uma’u crater, which until recently lit up red at night from the lava lake broiling within.

Image is from Volcano House looking out on Halema’uma’u Crater

Old structure at KMC

Nearby, you will find Kilauea Military Camp, where the government set up a detainment camp for suspected Japanese sympathizers during the war––which was a big part of my novel. The place is currently used as a camp and recreation area for members of the armed services and their families. Looming over all of this is Mauna Loa, considered by many to be the largest volcano on earth. You can take the eleven mile drive up Mauna Loa Road, through lava fields punctuated by kipukas. If you are feeling bold, you can then hike to the summit at 13,679 feet. A long and arduous trail with thin air and freezing temperatures. In 1942, Mauna Loa erupted near the summit, causing a big hoopla because the whole state was practicing strict blackout measures and suddenly the top of the mountain was on fire. To the horror of many Hawaiians, the military bombed it, but that did nothing to stop the flow. You’ll find a scene in the book about this.

If you plan on visiting the Volcano Area, I recommend hiking the Kilauea Iki and Mauna Ulu trails, the location of two major eruptions, and walking along the edge of the crater rim from Volcano House towards the steam vents for some lovely views. The Devastation and Bird Park Trails are also interesting, with trees full of amakihi, apapane and i’iwi – a few of the more common native Hawaiian honeycreepers (songbirds). In fact, Volcano is a wonderful place for birdwatchers. Also, the Volcano Art Center has fabulous Volcano-inspired art and I highly recommend a stop there. It’s housed in the original Volcano House, which was moved to a new site to make way for a larger building.

Sarah Ackerman

And if you fancy winning a copy of Red Sky Over Hawaii, then we currently have 3 copies up for grabs (U.S. entries only) on THIS LINK – CLOSES 27.6.20

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