Kawai: A Mother’s Daring Rescue to Bring Her Institutionalized Son Home

Elinor and Kawai inspire us with their journey and by sharing their sacred story.

I admit that as a Steely Dan fan (and one who had always believed that Walter Becker was the soul of the group and Donald was the perfection) I bought this book primarily to get more insight into the elusive live of Walter. 11 Tracks of Whack is one of my favourite albums and I always knew that the 12th track was not Whack- it was an adorable tribute a well-loved son.What started out as an exercise learning more about a musical icon turned into a respect and admiration for a woman who did everything she could for her son.It reminded me of the power of friendship, family love, and as a full time caregiver of two elderly parents- it gave me strength and hope. It also made me grateful for our Canadian Healthcare System but more importantly it gave reminding me to find my faith.Thank you Elinor Meadows for sharing your story!!Every caregiver, parent, sibling, child can and should learn from your journey.

I received my copy of Kawai yesterday and read it last night. I found it to be a lovely book. As someone who considered Walter Becker one of my top three musical heroes, a former home caregiver, and a current nurse, (and a nature lover.) I found it to be a very good read in a variety of ways. I don’t know anything about Elinor and Walter’s private personalities, or who they are as individuals, but I thought that her approach was very tactful. She spoke respectfully of her ex-husband and loved ones. She revealed many of the issues with long-term care without making the book a rant, and she wrote a lovely tribute to her son. I enjoyed her descriptions of the scenery around her, as well as her inclusion of native Hawaiian words. The book was a nice variety of reflection, visual imagery, love, and honesty. Like I said, I don’t know her, but I got the impression that Elinor is a reflective and thoughtful lady. She is certainly tough and devoted, and her self-reflection gave me many things to think about. I really appreciated the wisdom she has gained through her experiences. The cover art and book packaging are beautiful as well. In my opinion, a very tasteful book that brings light to the trials and needs of caregivers, as well as humanity and forgiving the mistakes as we make.

I highly recommend this book to everybody. Beautifully written and all encompassing while remaining authentic to an amazing true story. I picked it up and couldn’t put it down!

Elinor Meadows has written an inspiring, gut-wrenching story about her son with her ex-husband, Walter Becker (Steely Dan), and their journey after Kawai’s tragic, yet by some miracle, not fatal overdose. The contrast is start. One moment, poetic descriptions of an envious life in the verdant jungles of Hana on Maui cut-to the unenvious, acerbic reality of a concrete Manhattan hospital. Everything about this story belies anything fiction could come up with.Meadows describes the long events that inspired her to kidnap her son from a dismal rehab environment and navigate under the radar for the 5,000 miles across land and sea back to her home on Maui with the goal to care for him in her loving home with her family. Ongoing struggles continue, but also triumphs, not the least of which is how estranged parents can find some common ground for the love of their child, eventually.