Southerner John Ramsey, USN, sails into Honolulu in 1886 with secret orders to turn the Hawaiian Kingdom into America's first colony. Fleeing a stateside murder, he vows to do his duty until Pua, sacred dancer and fiery daughter of the High Chiefess, confounds his prejudices, his loyalties and his heart. Hawai'i simmers with a native monarchy's maneuvers to retain independence and a native people's passion to renew itself. In the crosshairs of sugar planters, who are descendants of protestant missionaries, and of big powers hungry for foreign anchorages, the Hawaiian king and queen seek desperately for a resolution. Will it come from native tradition, from culture and faithfulness to the Goddess? Or must they find another ally? The Hawaiian Islands sit on the tectonic plates of East and West. Underneath sun-kissed skies and umbrella drinks, the islands also are a story of cultures meeting, colliding and resolving. Theirs is a story that may guide other cultures brought closer together by a shrinking world.