A very engrossing meld of fact and fiction. The facts cover the creation of the leprosarium on Molokai in the mid 1800's and its history up until the late 1900s. The fiction chronicles the life of a leper from age 6 until her death in her 80's. Recommend!

Share/Like this Review?

Touching and sad profile of life for a young Hawaiian girl diagnosed with Leprosy at the turn of the century. An intimate glimpse into the lives of those banished to the leper colony on Moloka'i. You'll enjoy the read even more if you've been to the islands.

Share/Like this Review?

This is a very sad but beautiful story.

Share/Like this Review?

This book was rich with character development. The author is adept at bringing the reader into the story. I felt the emotions that the characters were experiencing and was transformed into the island setting! I couldn't put the book down.

Share/Like this Review?

This was the very poignant story of Rachel Kalama, a young Hawaiian girl who is afflicted with leprosy at age seven. When a pink mark appears on her skin that is painless to the touch, her dreams of traveling the world like her merchant seaman father come to a halt. She is forced to go to Kalaupapa, to be quarantined for leprosy on the island of Moloka'i. She ends up losing touch with her mother and siblings but her father sends her gifts including dolls and books from around the world. And she is able to stay close to her Uncle Pano who also contracted the disease and was sent to Moloka'i. But does her world come to an end? No, it rather blossoms as she is embraced by those isolated on the island including the nun, Mother Catherine, who becomes her lifelong friend. She also meets and marries the love of her life, a Japanese man named Kenji, and together they have a child named Ruth who is taken from them and sent away for adoption a day after her birth. Will Rachel ever know what happened to her and how her life turned out?

This novel begins in 1891 when there was no effective treatment for leprosy or Hansen's Disease as it is now called. The only solution was separating those afflicted from the rest of society by placing them in isolation in quarantined settlements such as the one on Moloka'i. When a person contracted the disease, many times they would be shunned by their family and would lose all contact with them. Brennert really did a good job researching this novel including how this disease affected not only those who had it but the people that were there to take care of them including the nuns and the medical staff. This book also provided a lot of history that I was totally unaware of including details of the life in the leprosy settlement but also descriptions of the culture, food, and nature of Hawaii. Overall, this was a really stunning book that gives the reader a look at all sides of human nature and the best and worst of human behavior. I would highly recommend it.

Share/Like this Review?