Kaui Hart Hemmings is a young American writer. Her first book of short stories, published in 2005, was critically acclaimed. The writer was born and raised in Hawaii; currently lives with her husband and daughter in San Francisco. “The Descendants” is Hemmings’ debut novel, which was made into a feature film by director Alexander Payne (“Sideways”) starring George Clooney. “The Descendants” is one of the brightest, most original and promising American debut novels of recent years. It’s funny and a touching story about the eccentric King family, which unfolds against the backdrop of breathtaking Hawaiian landscapes. As critics rightly point out, we readers “don’t just root for all the members of the King family—we applaud them!” (San Francisco Magazine).