Manuel “Manny” Veincent’s Born of Two Oceans is a memoir told with the kind of rich, hard-earned clarity only kūpuna can offer.
Through nine decades, he has lived many lives. He’s been a Marine, mechanic, firefighter, canoe builder, conservationist, rancher, and mentor. Intertwined in each role is his work ethic and unwavering connection to the land, the ocean, and his Native Hawaiian identity.
The result is a powerful memoir that is deeply personal, at times hilarious, often unbelievable, and ultimately unforgettable.
With the help of co-author Kim Ann Curtin, Veincent has captured a life story that feels like sitting at the feet of your favorite uncle as he spins a yarn that leaves you both inspired and in awe.
His voice on the page is unmistakably his voice in real life. It’s sharp, direct, and to the point. Uncle Manny, now 94-years-old, shifts effortlessly from memory to reflection. But make no mistake, this isn’t just nostalgia. It is a story about a man trying to preserve a lifetime of knowledge and foundational responsibility that is rapidly vanishing.
“I’m one of the last now from the old folks,” Uncle Manny said. “And when I go, if I don’t document anything, then there’s nothing. We’re going to have a big zero, a big blank space, and people will never know.”
Raised on Hawaiian Home Lands in Keaukaha, in a time before fast food and computers, Uncle Manny walks readers through a Hawaiʻi that many today have only heard about. From boiling and straining tea to eating poi and canned sardines and sleeping on handmade lauhala mats. The level of detail is remarkable, particularly in terms of food, characters, and daily life.
You can almost taste the linalina pancakes with nucoa butter.
The storytelling is vivid and passionate. Names, personalities, and moments leap off the page with startling precision.
One of the book’s greatest strengths is how seamlessly it weaves unrelated experiences into a cohesive life story. At one moment, Uncle Manny is swimming with sharks, and in the next, he is saving the endangered nēnē goose and apprenticing under a kahuna kālai waʻa.
Uncle shows us, with his lived experiences, how everything is interconnected. The logs that would become racing canoes speak to him, the sharks see him, and the mountains keep him safe.
“Firsthand,” he says. “Nobody told me this. The land, the ocean, it’s my experience. It’s not what somebody told me; it’s what I experienced myself in my lifetime, and if this is not documented now, we gonna lose all this.”
His reflections on Hawaiian identity are timely and grounded. He speaks candidly about what he sees in today’s youth. “They gotta push the culture forward themselves, the way it is now.”
He offers hard truths about discipline, belief, and self-determination. But this isn’t a scolding book. It’s an invitation. “Young people, be yourself. Believe in yourself. Your ability. No more end to what you can do,” he says.
Curtin, who spent years working with Veincent to shape the book, describes the collaboration as a “sacred journey.” She likens it to having “front-row seats to history” and says her biggest challenge was getting Uncle to go beyond “just the facts.” The result is a narrative that strikes a balance between humility and weight. Uncle doesn’t brag, but his vast experience speaks for itself.
Born of Two Oceans is also full of humor and joy. Whether he’s recounting a story about his grandfather running away from a hospital or dealing with a particularly difficult horse, Uncle Manny’s life has no shortage of adventure. It’s no wonder Curtin describes his life as “an orange that he squeezed every drop out of.”
Veincent’s telling of the early days of canoe paddling in Kawaihae delivers the club’s genealogy and 50-year history. As a coach, Uncle Manny established a club reputation for rigorous training and led generations of keiki and adults alike toward a culture of excellence rooted in community pride.
At its core, Born of Two Oceans is a call to believe in yourself, in your place, and in your purpose. Throughout the book, discipline is not a lesson Uncle Manny preaches. It’s one he lives.
From describing the intense physical preparation for canoe races, the rigor of the fire department, or the grit of ranching, his words return to the idea that success is the sum of personal effort, endurance, and discipline.
Again and again, the book reveals that believing in yourself isn’t just about confidence. It’s about commitment.
“Your body can do it,” he says. “But your brain gotta be stronger.”
In a world of shortcuts and easy exits, Born of Two Oceans teaches us that success in life resides in discipline and that Hawaiian values can guide us through any obstacle.
It’s not just the story of one man. It’s a reminder of how things used to be in Hawaiʻi and perhaps how they should still be.
