Barbara Hamby Boeken

The story unfolds as Lester Higata encounters the ghost of his deceased father, prompting a reflection on his life as a Japanese American in Honolulu. Set against the backdrop of vibrant Hawaiian culture, the narrative explores themes of family, memory, and identity through Lester's journey, intertwined with his passion for orchids and the complexities of his heritage. Barbara Hamby's enchanting prose brings to life the struggles and joys of a man caught between the past and present.

Babel features more of the rhetorical acrobatics that fueled Barbara Hamby's earlier work. These whirlwinds of words and sounds form vistas, images, and scenes that are at once unique and immediately recognizable.

Poems navigate the American chaos of wars, street violence, apocalyptic fantasies, and racial tension.