Modern Voices Reading and Discussion Group

Lost Kingdom takes readers on a tour through the fascinating history of Hawaii, in a tale of one of the most breathtaking land grabs of the Gilded Age.

Deftly weaving together a memorable cast of characters, Lost Kingdom brings to life the ensuing clash between a vulnerable Polynesian people and relentlessly expanding capitalist powers. Portraits of royalty, rogues, sugar barons, and missionaries combine into a sweeping tale of the Hawaiian kingdom’s rise and fall.

Julia Flynn Siler has taught journalism at the University of London’s Birkbeck college and has appeared as a commentator on the BBC, CBS, CNBC, National Public Radio, and elsewhere. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and the Oxford Encyclopedia on Food and Drink in America.

She serves on the alumni board of Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism and volunteers for Guide Dogs for the Blind. She and her family live in Northern California, where they enjoy mountain biking and skiing. They are frequent visitors to their local public libraries and are involved in a wide range of community activities.