I am grateful to Denise Roy, Maria Massie, Kate Ankofski, Kimberly Cowser, Mara Lurie, Kate Lapin, and Melanie Parks for their contributions to The Aloha Quilt and their ongoing support of the Elm Creek Quilts series.
Thanks also to Tara Shaughnessy, who helped care for my sons during the time I wrote this book, and to my teammates from Just For Kicks, Oh-Thirty, and Más Cervesas for providing me with great workouts, camaraderie, and stress relief.
I offer a heartfelt mahalo to the people of Hawaii who generously shared their stories with me and showed me the true meaning of the aloha spirit, especially Dan and Amy Martin, my hosts at Ho‘oilo House in Lahaina; Suzanne Ayers of the Baldwin House for her informative and intriguing discussions of Lahaina’s history; Höküao Pellegrino of the Kamehameha Schools Enrichment Department for help with the Hawaiian language; Eva Humphrey and Peter Delapinia of Mele Ukulele for their suggestions, demonstrations, and a delightful concert; and Mandy Kaili of the Maui Historical Society for answering my questions about kapa cloth.
I offer hugs and thanks to the friends and family who never fail to support and encourage me, especially Geraldine Neidenbach, Heather Neidenbach, Nic Neidenbach, Leonard and Marlene Chiaverini, Brian Grover, and my boys, Marty, Nicholas, and Michael Chiaverini. Aloha!