Hawaii. Most commonly regarded as a carefree, tropical utopia. Theme song by Don Ho. Team uniforms by Leis ‘R’ Us.

But it’s also a mysterious jungle, filled with exotic species and shady characters who lurk behind the postcard-perfect landscape. (Remember what happened to the Bradys?)

If you like your island adventures with more adventure, let Tara Bray Smith take you West of Then.

Growing up in Hawaii was no day at the beach for Tara, who spent her childhood bouncing back and forth between Hawaii’s two sides: the sterile comfort of resort-based tranquility (with dad and stepmom) and the polluted underworld of dilapidated plantations, methadone clinics, and local park benches (with her free-spirited and drug-addled mom). Tara eventually leaves paradise for the appealingly predictable Northeast, but she later returns to try to save her mother from slipping off the edge of the world.

West of Then is a meandering yet unexpectedly suspenseful journey through the history of a strange and surprising land, led by a mesmerizing guide.

Now that’s what we call a mighty fine getaway.

Available online at amazon.com or at your local bookstore.