author
Charlotte Hapai
A collector of Hawaiian stories, this early 20th-century writer is best known for bringing legends of the Wailuku River area into English for a wider audience. Her work preserves the feel of oral storytelling while opening a window onto the folklore of Hawaiʻi.
1 Audiobook
Legends of the Wailuku
by Charlotte Hapai
About the author
Charlotte Hapai is known for Legends of the Wailuku, published in Honolulu in 1920 by the Charles R. Frazier Company and illustrated by Will Herwig. The book presents Hawaiian legends connected with the Wailuku River and Hilo, and its title page describes the stories as being "told by old Hawaiians" and rendered into English by Hapai.
One of the most personal details confirmed in the book itself is its dedication to her grandmother, Harriet Kamakanoenoe Hapai. That dedication suggests the stories were closely tied to family memory and local tradition, which helps give the collection its intimate, spoken quality.
Not much biographical information about Hapai is easy to verify from standard library and public-domain sources, so her published work remains the clearest way to understand her legacy. Even with that limited record, Legends of the Wailuku stands as a small but meaningful contribution to the preservation and sharing of Hawaiian folklore.