Aouli Elizabeth Smith is adrift. She doesn't feel heard at home, and she doesn't believe what everyone else seems to at church. The one place she feels at home is at her Aunty Ehu's house: the Saturdays she shares with her extended Native Hawaiian community is the most grounding thing in her life. It is there that the pieces of her life seem to fit together. As Aouli's world constricts to what others wish she was, she loses the ability to express herself. When a new boy named Nalu shows up in her life, she wonders if love can give her the words she needs to set herself free.

Ages 13 up Heartdrum.

Grades 10-12 Heartdrum.