3.5 stars. An interesting and thorough account of Polynesian history. The first 1/3 was really interesting, but I struggled to finish the rest. I learned a lot, but I found myself not reaching for it. The audio helped me push through to the end. Oddly, the narrator sounds like Hayley Mills. Overall, this is like a college class in Polynesia.

Excellent book detailing what we know and what have yet to learn about Polynesian discovery and settlement. The book is cleverly laid out chronologically starting with the European discovery of the islands, but leaves a lot of tantalizing questions that makes you want to read on. Slowly, you learn more and more about the Polynesian inhabitants through their own stories and through traditional Western scientific approaches. The fact that people were able to settle this area and thrive is a tremendous feat in and of itself. You will enjoy this book!

I really wanted to love this book, but I’m not sure how much I learned about the Polynesians vs those who studied them.

Excellent book, and yes, I did have "We Know the Way" stuck in my head the whole time I was reading this