LAHAINA — Lahaina Public Library and North Beach – West Maui Benefit Fund invite you to meet local authors Ikaika Hussey and Jackie Palmer Lasky on Saturday, Oct. 22, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Library located at 680 Wharf St. in Lahaina.

The authors will read from their essays published in the book “Civil Society in West Maui,” a wide-ranging collection of essays piecing together key political controversies that have animated the social and political life of West Maui.

Hussey, author of “Preserving West Maui: Sharyn Matin and the Legal Front,” offers a political biography of Matin, whose engagement opposing large-scale development in the North Beach area was the foundation for the non-profit West Maui Preservation Association. The details of her activism provide insight into development and govenance in West Maui and its relationship to the rule of law.

In her essay “Na Wahine Ho’omau: West Mauiʻs Councilwomen,” Lasky shares the stories of Jo Anne Johnson, Elle Cochran, and Tamara Paltin.

Plantation history and tourist economies shaped the lives of these outstanding councilwomen, and each is recognized for her tenacity and courage in implementing positive change for the West Maui district. Their progressive politics consistently advance local community and environmental priorities over the financial interests that have dominated the island for centuries.

A Q & A session and book signing will follow the authors’ discussions.

This free informational talk-story is the fifth in a series focusing on community-oriented solutions to issues confronting West Maui today – water management, traffic congestion, over-tourism, housing and other struggles. For more information, visit librarieshawaii.org/events