Julia Flynn Siler talks about Lost Kingdom: Hawaii’s Last Queen, the Sugar Kings, and America’s First Imperial Adventure ($16.00). Deftly weaving together a memorable cast of characters, this work brings to life the ensuing clash between a vulnerable Polynesian people and relentlessly expanding capitalist powers. At the center of the story is Lili‘uokalani, the last queen of Hawaii. Born in 1838, she lived through the nearly complete economic transformation of the islands.
Julia Flynn Siler is an award-winning journalist. Her book, The House of Mondavi: The Rise and Fall of an American Wine Dynasty, was a New York Times best seller. She has written for Business Week and the New York Times, and is now a contributing writer for the Wall Street Journal in San Francisco.