But this book wasn’t so memorable to me that I thought a higher rating would be appropriate. And I love that White kept in Kaiulani’s Christianity and didn’t simply ignore it. She also does a great job of communicating the controversy and conflict at the heart of the US’s attempts to annex Hawaii. I think White did a fantastic job of detailing the era of the time, and communicating a good depiction of Kaiulani. The reason I didn’t rate this any higher is really only because it didn’t wow me. White also conveys the fragility of the royal line, which sadly ends with Kaiulani’s early death in 1889 at the age of 23.

It also describes the ins-and-outs of the Hawaiian Royal Family and really captures the voice of Kaiulani, who is intelligent and charismatic. This book covers this area in spades, detailing the weakening power of the monarchy in Hawaii, the plot to transfer power to the Americans, and the eventual abdication of Queen Liliuokalani and annexation of Hawaii to the US. I’ve been critical of books in this series that didn’t do enough about the politics of the era. The book mostly covers the years she is in Britain at school, though it also covers her time in Hawaii right before that (and her friendship with Robert Louis Stephenson) and when she travels to the US to appeal to the president at the time, Cleveland, to prevent the annexation of Hawaii. Rating: 3/5 This entry in the Royal Diaries tells the story of the last princess of Hawaii, Kaiulani, and the last years of the monarchy in Hawaii.

Kaiulani by Ellen Emerson White