Island Woman

About the Book

On a whim, San Franciscan Kara Billingsley accepted an invitation from an ex-boyfriend to visit Kona, Hawaii, in 1976. She didn’t expect to fall in love—with the island. In Island Woman, Billingsley uses a combination of prose and poetry to describe her experiences of living in Hawaii. This memoir captures the eroticism of the island—the elemental, untamed energy of feminine nature. With humor, she tells stories of her interesting arrival on the island, of searching for Kona gold, of how Rabbit Hill got its name, and the mystery of her mother’s secret. Through her poetry selections, Billingsley pays tribute to the nature, beauty, and the sensual side of Kona, Hawaii—an island that became her home.

About the Author

Kara Billingsely is a coffee farmer, author, lyricist, and fifth-generation San Franciscan. She lives in Kona, Hawaii, on a four-acre coffee and tropical fruit farm.