Attribution aside, 'Aloha' book of proverbs says it all

"A Little Book of Aloha, Spirit of Healing" by Renata Provenzano; Mutual Publishing, hardback, $10.95

By Wanda A. Adams
Advertiser Book Editor

Australian Provenzano's first "Little Book of Aloha," a short selection of Hawai'i proverbs and sayings with accompanying photos and explanations, is one of the Islands' top-selling titles.

This sequel delves into the traditional Hawaiian culture's beliefs about physical, mental and spiritual health.

The format is simple: a proverb or quote in Hawaiian with translation and photograph on one page, with a longer explanatory bit of narrative or a quotation from a contemporary healer or cultural practitioner on the facing page.

The book is beautifully done and makes a touching gift. It's unfortunate, however, that the attribution of the proverbs leaves the impression that Mary Kawena Pukui, Henry P. Judd and others made up these sayings, when in most cases these are traditional sayings or the words of others that Pukui and Judd recorded.