Lois-Ann Yamanaka's fictional novel, Harry's Heads, is a remarkably raw and exciting read that immerses the reader in the life of the classroom Hilo worker during the 1970s and 1980s. Based on the life of Antoinette "Toni" Yagyuu, a Japanese-American girl who grew up in Hilo, Yamanaka's novel exceptionally well captures the lives, personalities and hardships faced many of these people faced during this time. She creates a “secondary world” that reflects the Hilo of the 1970s and 1980s and brings it to life through the geography and experiences she depicts in the novel (Kneale, 2003). As the daughter of a local taxidermist and school teacher, Toni, the novel's protagonist, finds herself trying to live up to her father's expectations and also finds herself in the shadow of her extravagant older brother Sheldon and his beautiful and intelligent younger sister Bunny. . As the story progresses with its interesting and enticing plot with many references to the landscape of Hilo, readers are introduced to a Hilo that many visitors and newcomers to the island may find shocking and unusual. Unlike Hawaii which is often depicted in movies and magazines as a paradise with white sand beaches and welcoming people, Yamanaka's novel depicts local life with horrific activities such as hunting wild animals, partying, alcohol consumption, drug use and family feuds. Yamanaka indeed delivers a captivating story with his novel Harry's Heads where, whether one is a local or not, one can identify with the ups, downs and experiences of the characters. Toni Yagyuu, the main character of the novel, experiences and overcomes many obstacles while growing up in the shadow of her siblings and failing to live up to expectations...... middle of paper ..... . ink or chatter about daily life. Nowadays, Hilo has become more advanced with big stores like Walmart and Target and people don't live close together like they used to. In conclusion, I found myself captivated by this new and unusual Hilo that I had read about in Yamanaka's fiction novel. Heads by Harry. This is the Hilo that I have yet to see or see for myself, but it is also the Hilo that many locals believe came to life in Yamanaka's novel. Although the entire culture, pidgin language, and vibrant personalities were a breath of fresh air for me as a newcomer to Hawaii, I was still able to relate to the experiences of the characters in the novel. Yamanaka definitely brought the Hilo of the 70s and 80s to life by capturing the geography, culture and obstacles of what real people experience..