Author Jo Ann Lordahl to Speak at the Alachua County Library Headquarters

Jo Ann Lordahl will present her book, Princess Ruth: Love & Tragedy in Hawaii on Saturday, June 22 at 2:30 p.m. in the Foundation Room of the Alachua County Library Headquarters.

Lordahl says, “Princess Ruth had my heart as soon as I saw her on the cover of The High Chiefess: Ruth Keelikolani. This is the story of Princess Ruth, a little-known princess, but the richest woman in Hawai‘i.* Ruth stopped a volcano, her money built the Bishop Museum, and her second husband hit her in the face, making her ugly!

“It is also the story of how Samantha, a recent widow and a haole newcomer to the island, settles into renewed love and life on Kauai, the oldest, most spiritual of the islands. The story is told through the eyes of Samantha. As she journeys through the soulful island of Kauai, we visit jungles and beaches, and sample Hawai‘ian culture, both ancient and modern. Samantha, working for Purity Corporation, learns of and faces the dangers of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and still finds happiness. Major topics in the book are GMOs, Hawai’i’s fateful history, and women’s special stories, including the one about Princess Ruth stopping a fiery volcano cold in its tracks. Kauai’s natural beauty, places, and the forbidden island of Niihau are interwoven. Princess Ruth: Love and Tragedy in Hawaii features a map of Hawai‘i, many factual endnotes, a book list of resources, and a chronology of Hawai‘ian royalty from antiquity, including Princess Ruth’s dates. And for Princess Ruth, she can—at long last—rest peacefully; her story is told.”

After fourteen years in Hawai‘i, Lordahl now lives in Gainesville, Florida. She is also the author of A Secret Kept in Hawaii, which is the sequel of Princess Ruth. Delightfully combining facts, fiction, and romance, Lordahl uses her women’s stories to give the reader historic and modern insights on a present-day environmental threat that is not confined to Hawai‘i.