Published in 2020, Sharks in the Time of Saviors tells the story of a Hawaiian family whose youngest son, Nainoa, has special healing powers. Malia and Augie Flores look to their favorite son to deliver the family from poverty, but his mysterious healing gift is imperfect, and he becomes increasingly burdened by his failures, the high expectations of him, and the pressure he puts on himself to save everyone.

Written by Kawai Strong Washburn, who was born and raised on the Big Island of Hawai‘i, the novel explores the cultural clash between native Hawaiians and mainlanders as well as the effects of a favorite son on the family’s dynamics. Ancient Hawaiian legends, gods, and spirits haunt the story and define the character of Malia Flores. Perspectives on these themes vary depending on the point of view of the narrator, with each chapter in the book recounted from the first-person point of view of one of the five main characters.

Plot Summary

From the time of Nainoa’s birth, Malia believes he is special. The night she conceives him on a beach, she and her husband see the night marchers, legendary spirits of ancient Hawaiian warriors. Malia also describes how animals are drawn to Nainoa and nuzzle him. She recalls his nightmares that foretell the demise of the sugarcane plantation where his father works.

In 1995, seven-year-old Nainoa becomes a local legend on the Big Island after he falls overboard during a boat trip. Sharks swarm around the boy, but instead of attacking, one of them lifts him out of the water and returns him to his mother. After the shark incident, Malia is convinced that the gods are working through Nainoa and that he is destined to save both the family and Hawaiian culture.

When Nainoa heals a boy whose hand was badly injured in a fireworks accident, Malia’s belief in his special gifts seems confirmed. Nainoa gains a reputation as a prodigy, and people come to him seeking healing from various ailments and injuries. They pay for Nainoa’s healing sessions, which helps family’s financial struggles.

Besides his healing gift, Nainoa also excels in school and becomes a talented ukulele player at a young age. His teachers call him a prodigy, and his parents talk glowingly about Nainoa’s special gifts around their other two children, which makes them jealous. Nainoa is the center of attention in the family.

However, the sibling rivalry also has some positive effects. Nainoa’s older brother Dean and his sister Kaui push themselves to develop their own talents to compete with the family prodigy. Dean, who is a jock, pushes himself hard to excel at basketball. He succeeds in diverting some of his parents’ attention from Nainoa when he becomes a star on his high school team. Kaui begins to shine at school and takes an interest in hula dancing.

The family seems to be doing well until Nainoa fails to heal a man with Parkinson’s disease. The man comes to the Flores home and complains loudly about Nainoa’s failure to improve his Parkinson’s condition. The failure exposes the imperfection of his healing power, which causes Nainoa to become depressed. He refuses to see any more patients, but he doesn’t give up entirely. His parents find him outside one day in a “graveyard,” where he has been trying to save injured or dying animals that come to him.

The three siblings leave the islands for the mainland to attend separate colleges. Dean receives a basketball scholarship to a college in Spokane, Washington. At first, he excels on the court and is happy to be out of his brother’s shadow. Kaui also enjoys mainland life, as she pursues an engineering degree in San Diego and makes new friends. Nainoa attends Stanford and graduates early.

Working as a paramedic in Portland, Nainoa stuns his coworker, Erin, with the way he revives patients who seem to have no hope. For instance, he revives an addict whose heart has stopped for several minutes after an apparent drug overdose. During this period, Noa also brings a Labrador back to life even though the dog is completely dead on the side of the road. He is at the peak of his healing powers. He also grows closer to his girlfriend, Khadeja, and her six-year-old daughter Rika.

However, the siblings’ ascent on the mainland soon comes to an end, and they face difficult times. Dean quits college and abandons his dream of making the NBA; alcohol and drug use played a major role in ending his college career. Nainoa and Erin answer a paramedic call to help a pregnant woman who is severely injured from a car accident. Nainoa persuades Erin to delay transport of the woman because he believes he can use his powers to save both the mother and her baby. He fails, and they both die. Nainoa blames himself for the deaths and descends into a deep depression even though Erin exonerates him, and the paramedic service does not blame him either. During this period, Kaui remains on the upswing, but there are hints that her relationship with her girlfriend, Van, is about to end.

Nainoa takes a leave of absence. His depression and moodiness strain his relationship with Khadeja. He reminisces about his childhood on the islands—the beautiful beaches, rainforests, and sunsets. He answers “a calling” and decides to return to Hawai‘i.

Back home, Nainoa tells his mother that he hates what is inside him, referring to his healing powers. She says he has a gift and asks why he came home. Nainoa says he had a feeling, and his mother tells him he should listen to his feelings.

Soon after, Nainoa gets a calling to go hiking in the Waipi‘o Valley on the Big Island where he grew up. During the hike, he meets a German couple who talk of hiking in the valley as a religious experience and give him breakfast. He feels at peace in the valley. He soon comes to a high cliff overlooking the ocean. The ground gives way beneath him, and he falls, apparently to his death.

Dean returns to the islands from Spokane and joins the search for Nainoa. He refuses to stop searching after the police and everyone else have given up. After days on a rough wilderness trail, Dean finds Nainoa’s backpack with his ukulele in it. They never find Nainoa’s body, but Dean and his parents bury a lei in a memorial service for the favorite son.

Augie shuts down after Nainoa’s death, losing his job and becoming almost catatonic. Malia must quit her job to care for him. The couple have no choice but to move in with Augie’s brother on the Big Island. Malia receives a letter from Nainoa’s landlord saying he owes $4,500 in back rent and that the apartment must be vacated if it is not paid. When Malia tells Dean about the problem, he goes to Portland to prevent Nainoa’s landlord from discarding his belongings. Kaui soon joins him there.

The movers arrive at the apartment and start removing Nainoa’s belongings. When one of the movers makes a snide remark and throws Nainoa’s clothes in the mud, Dean becomes enraged, carries Nainoa’s clothes back into the apartment, and gets into a fight with the movers. The sheriff detains him but decides to let him go. After the sheriff leaves, Dean and Kaui break into the apartment and carry Nainoa’s things back inside to get them out of the rain. When the sheriff returns later, they try to flee. Kaui steals a car that the owner has left idling. When Dean catches up with her and sees she has stolen the car, he pushes her out of the vehicle. When the sheriff arrives, only Dean is in the car.

The judge sentences Dean to 180 days minus time served. In prison, Dean gets back into playing basketball and starts a successful business that includes selling drugs. He sends money to his parents in Hawai‘i.

Kaui returns to Hawai‘i after her relationship with Van ends when Van says she is not gay. On the Big Island, Kaui accepts a job at a local farm that is just getting started. She enjoys working with her hands again. She believes the farm’s new methods are transformational. She notices other local farms are sprouting up on the Big Island and expresses her belief that it is a calling that others are joining. She talks to Dean, who has been released from prison, and asks him to return to the islands. He says he will consider it.

During this period, Malia goes through a self-reckoning. She admits to failing her children. She concedes that she did not understand Nainoa’s needs and that it was a mistake to expect too much of him. She questions her faith in the gods.

In the final chapter, Augie hears voices telling him to go to the Waipi‘o Valley, where Noa died. He travels there with Malia and Kaui. When Augie climbs to the ridge where Nainoa fell, he sees his dead son walking with the night marchers.