‘The House of Pride, and Other Tales of Hawaii’ is an inspired collection of six short stories set in a fascinating time in Hawaiian history. It is a heartfelt collection, as the stories deal with colonisation, the loss of independence and the influx of cultures forever changing Hawaiian society. Shorts such as ‘Koolau the Leper’ deal with the leper colony on Molokai, offering a heart-breaking and passionate read. London always goes to great lengths to bring the beauty of Hawaii and it’s people to life, so much so that if you close your eyes you can see yourself there. It is an amazing collection full of wonderful characters, incredible beauty and impactful stories of a pre-statehood Hawaii.

Jack London (1876–1916) was a pioneer, novelist, journalist and social activist. London was one of the first American authors to become an international celebrity thanks to his pioneering work in commercial fiction and magazines. Additionally he is accredited as a major innovator in the genre we now know as science fiction. Growing up in a working class background and spending several years homeless, he was a passionate fighter for workers’ rights, socialism, unionisation and animal rights. He would go on to be one of the highest paid authors in America thanks to his classics such as ‘Call of the Wild’, ‘White fang’ and ‘Sea Wolf’.