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LOCAL
by Jessica Machado

LOCAL by Jessica Machado

LOCAL is the story of growing up in Hawaii—both within that paradise and outside it—as the daughter of a local Hawaiian father and haole mother from the American South. It is a moving personal narrative of identity, grief, and recovery interwoven with a nuanced exploration of Hawaiian culture and history. A powerful, lush memoir, LOCAL will be released by Little A on January 1, 2023.

Press Highlights

“[A] memoir about loneliness, loss, and finding a cultural identity…[that] gorgeously portray[s] the complexity of Machado’s spiral into despair…Machado’s rich descriptions and frank voice make the book worth reading.” —Kirkus Reviews

Local: A Memoir by [Jessica Machado]

Page Count: 225

About the Book

She was surrounded by the beauty and power of Hawai‘i. And she chose to run from it.

Born and raised in Hawai‘i by a father whose ancestors are indigenous to the land and a mother from the American South, Jessica Machado wrestles with what it means to be “local.” Feeling separate from the history and tenets of Hawaiian culture that have been buried under the continental imports of malls and MTV, Jessica often sees her homeland reflected back to her from the tourist perspective—as an uncomplicated paradise. Her existence, however, feels far from that ideal. Balancing her parents’ divorce, an ailing mother, and growing anxiety, Jessica rebels. She moves to Los Angeles, convinced she’ll leave her complicated family behind and define herself. Instead, her isolation only becomes more severe, and her dying mother follows her to California. For Jessica, the only way to escape is a reckless downward spiral.

Interwoven with a rich and nuanced exploration of Hawaiian history and traditions, Local is a personal and moving narrative about family, grief, and reconnecting to the land she tried to leave behind.

About the Author

Jessica Machado is an editor at NBC News. Previously, she was a staff editor at Vox, the Daily Dot, and Rolling Stone. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Cut, BuzzFeed, Vice, and Elle, among others. Born and raised in Hawai‘i, she currently lives in Brooklyn, New York. For more information, visit www.jessica-machado.com.