Voices of Hawaii

Voices of Hawaii
Life Stories from the Generation that Shaped the Aloha State

For Jane Marshall Goodsill, Voices of Hawai'i began as a labor of love. A kam‘aina accomplished in the art of oral history, she began interviewing Island residents who had known her late father, a partner in a venerable Honolulu law firm. But avocation soon became vocation. As Goodsill’s joy in recording these life stories grew, so too did her pool of subjects: business executives, war veterans and POWs, retired plantation managers, Island entertainers, conservationists, taro farmers, educators, broadcasters, retailers, ranchers, activists, judges, journalists and so many others.

Taken together, their oral histories told a fascinating, behind-the-scenes tale of Hawai‘i’s journey from the World War II era into the 21st century. The best of these candid interviews – compelling tales of deals made and glass ceilings shattered, of ancient ways revived and legacy lands preserved – are collected here under the themes of Island life, history, race, land use, art and music, philanthropy, development, and the spirit of aloha.

Jane Marshall Goodsill was born and raised on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. Over the course of a long career as a Licensed Professional Counselor, she listened to thousands of hours of personal stories and was fascinated by each one. After retirement, she served for ten years on her county’s historical commission, during which time she refined the art of taking oral histories.