Ah, chicky, that is a book special to me!
I read it 42 years ago in 1962, checking it out of the base library in Rapid City, South Dakota when I was pregnant with my daughter.
I was positively enthralled with his descriptions of how the Islands were formed, and populated.
When in 1966 we went from Fairbanks, Alaska to Myrtle Beach AFB, my husband had to have long delayed spinal surgery for 3 ruptured disks (none of that kind could be done in Fairbanks - he would have had to go to Seattle without me to have it, so he bore the pain for 11 months).
Sent for it down to Charleston, SC to the Naval Hospital there, it was performed, and during his recovery time, on the library cart I spied Michener's Hawaii!"
Mind you, he was an avid reader, too, but delved into war books, thick history books (even about Chinese Dynasties, that I found too tedious) and biographies, and almost never would read fiction.
BREAKTHROUGH!!
Now in retirement, we usually each have a book in hand, and of course went through Michener's books as they came out.
Another favorite of mine is Dear & Glorious Physician by Taylor Caldwell, about Luke, and her subsequent books.
I read that in 1960.
Lori, it has to be difficult for you to try to read such a lengthy, detailed book with YOUR busy schedule! It definitely requires undivided concentration. At the time I read it, my boys were in school during the day, so I had that luxury of no distractions.
Of course, it would have been much easier if my two dogs had been trained to turn the pages for me - LOL
