Big Hearts On A Little Island

Big Hearts on a Little Island is a 250-page archive of stories and photos that beautifully recounts the heartwarming ways that community members on Maui stepped up to help after the devastating wildfires. As four separate fires ripped through the island on August 8th, 2023, destroying over 2,000 structures, reducing much of the historic town of Lahaina to ashes, and tragically killing over 100 people, the community response was instantaneous. What would follow in the hours, days, weeks, and months after the fires was one of the most inspiring grassroots movements of community care ever witnessed.

Within the pages of Big Hearts on a Little Island, you’ll read about the brave first responders who risked their lives, the shelter volunteers and families who welcomed rattled evacuees with open arms, and the endless convoys bringing essentials to stranded survivors by land, air, and sea. You’ll also read about the grassroots resource hubs, the donations that poured in from all over the island, and the local restaurants, businesses, and nonprofits that stepped up to feed and assist thousands of people in need. It was a grassroots effort like never before, fueled by love and aloha.

Experienced author and Maui resident Victoria Moore spent a year interviewing nearly 200 community helpers to weave together the thirteen chapters in this uplifting book. Through the words of the helpers themselves, along with hundreds of moving photos from community members and professional photographers, Big Hearts on a Little Island manages to capture the essence of the community response both as an archive for those who lived through it and as a source of inspiration for generations to come. Everyone on the team offered their time and skills pro bono to produce this extraordinary book so that 100% of proceeds from sales can go right back to the community to support the rebuilding of the Lahaina Public Library.

May these stories help inspire our hearts and remind us of what is possible when communities come together to support one another in big-hearted ways.