The Descendants: A Novel

Name: The Descendants: A Novel
Price: 11.99 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.3 (1952 reviews)
Author: Kaui Hart Hemmings

by Kaui Hart Hemmings

Contemporary Fiction Literary Fiction

4.3 (1,952)

4.3 stars from 1,952 reviews. Top 80% of Contemporary Fiction books we track.

297 pages~5 hr readPublished by Jonathan CapePublished 1998-01-01

$11.9920% off peak

Last checked: May 30, 2026

Price history: $1.99 – $14.99

While not the biggest discount we've seen for this book, it's still a great deal and we recommend grabbing it before price returns to its normal range.

Price range: $1.99 – $14.99

Buy on Amazon - $11.99

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Perfect for you if...

You appreciate character-driven stories where family dysfunction feels real and messy, not melodramatic.
You're drawn to books set in vivid places that feel like characters themselves, especially Hawaii.
You want humour woven through serious moments—the kind that catches you off guard and feels earned.

Maybe not for you if...

You prefer straightforward, plot-driven narratives without ambiguity about what characters should do.
You need clear moral heroes and villains rather than flawed people making impossible choices.
You find coming-of-age subplots distracting when there's already adult drama at the centre.

About this book

Set in Hawaii, The Descendants follows the King family, descendants of Hawaiian royalty and major state landowners. Matthew King's wife Joanie lies in a coma after a boat-racing accident and will soon be taken off life support. His daughters—ten-year-old Scottie and seventeen-year-old Alex, a recovering drug addict—are struggling. As Matt arranges final goodbyes with Joanie's loved ones, he discovers she had been having an affair with a man who hasn't yet been told of her condition. Forced to consider their obligations to both the living and the dead, Matt, Scottie, and Alex set out on a road trip to find Joanie's lover. Their journey brings unexpected humor, personal growth, and significant revelations about their family and its legacy. This edition includes an excerpt from Kaui Hart Hemmings's The Possibilities.

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Price History

Kindle price over time. Green zones = periods when the book was free.

$1.99 – $14.99

Price has dropped 12 times over the last 6 years. Goes on sale roughly every 173 days. Typically stays discounted for 31 days.

Sales Rank

Amazon sales rank: lower number = better selling book. #1 is the bestseller.

Currently around #229K in the Kindle store — a niche title.

Rating & Reviews

Purple line = star rating over time. Blue area = total review count growth.

Currently 4.3★ from 1,952 reviews

Gaining approximately 8 new reviews per month. Rating has remained stable at 4.3 over the tracking period.

Sale Prediction

Actual Predicted

This book goes on sale roughly every 172 days. Next drop estimated in about 22 weeks. Typical discount: 87% off.

Prices shown in USD from Amazon US. We continuously pull new data to improve tracking. If dates look old, it usually means there has been no significant change since the last data point.