Young Rachel Kalama, growing up in idyllic Honolulu in the 1890s, is part of a big, loving Hawaiian family, and dreams of seeing the far-off lands that her father, a merchant seaman, often visits. But at the age of seven, Rachel and her dreams are shattered by the discovery that she has leprosy. Forcibly removed from her family, she is sent to Kalaupapa, the isolated leper colony on the island of … of Moloka’i.
In her exile she finds a family of friends to replace the family she’s lost: a native healer, Haleola, who becomes her adopted “auntie” and makes Rachel aware of the rich culture and mythology of her people; Sister Mary Catherine Voorhies, one of the Franciscan sisters who care for young girls at Kalaupapa; and the beautiful, worldly Leilani, who harbors a surprising secret. At Kalaupapa she also meets the man she will one day marry.
True to historical accounts, Moloka’i is the story of an extraordinary human drama, the full scope and pathos of which has never been told before in fiction. But Rachel’s life, though shadowed by disease, isolation, and tragedy, is also one of joy, courage, and dignity. This is a story about life, not death; hope, not despair. It is not about the failings of flesh, but the strength of the human spirit.
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I love anything about Hawaii
Great read!
Inspiring and heartbreaking novel. Great story.
One of my favorite books
Mr. Brennert’s account of life in the Moloka’i leper colony is riveting.
A few days prior to the release of the sequel, I finally read Molokai. It was a long, difficult, heart-wrenching book to read but so moving and thought provoking. It’s a touching historical account of a victim of one of the oldest known diseases, leprosy. It’s a tragic story. It’s also an inspiring story about the potential of the human spirit to endure fear, injustice, unfairness and isolation through hopefulness and love. I learned a lot about the cruelty of leprosy, its symptoms, and the fear, stigma and public health concerns surrounding the dreaded condition. The setting takes place in Hawaii in the late 1800s. However, the most vivid and powerful parts of the book come through the thoughts and dialogues of the characters, primarily the protagonist. I’m happy I read this book. The cover is beautiful, and I eagerly look forward to the sequel.
Molokai is simply a beautiful story in which Alan Brennert features unforgettable characters. Brennert’s love of Hawaii and meticulous research are fully on display throughout the rich tale of Rachel who, at the age of 7, is diagnosed with leprosy and torn from her family and happy life in Honolulu. Exiled to a leper colony on Molokai, Rachel is raised by the Catholic nuns who run the girls’ home there. Rachel develops deep friendships with the other girls, as well as with, in particular, Sister Catherine. Rachel longs for her family back on Oahu and the prospect of returning to life a normal life there, but as the years pass, and the disease remains active, thereby prohibiting her release, she draws upon the strength of those around her and the beautiful island of Molokai, as well as her Hawaiian heritage. Eventually, Rachel finds love and has a beautiful daughter with whom she is only allowed to spend a few hours before the child is cruelly taken from her lest she or her husband infect the child.
Rachel’s story spans nearly 7 decades and is told with great compassion. Brennert educates readers on the beliefs and culture of the Hawaiian people, the sadly true history of Kalaupapa, the leper colony that is today a national park on Molokai, and the suffering of real Hawaiians who, like the fictional Rachel, were ripped from their homes and families when they displayed symptoms of the disease. But Brennert’s focus is on his characters’ strengths and resilience, not their suffering. The result is a deeply moving story that will resonate with and haunt readers long after they finish reading the book. For readers who have never been to Hawaii or experienced its beauty, spirituality, and traditions, Molokai will permit them to understand the true meaning of “aloha” and precisely why Hawaii is commonly referred to simply as “paradise.” Molokai gets my highest recommendation.
Moloka’i (Moloka’i #1) by Alan Brennert
October 2004
I received a digital ARC of the sequel to this story, Daughter of Molokai, due to be published 2019. Now, seemed like the perfect time to take this off my TBR list.
The setting is in Hawaii 1891 until 1948, it follows the story of Rachel Kalama, only 5 years old at the time and the years that follow during the Hanson’s disease outbreak. It was difficult was anyone to prepare for what would ensue as a result of this contagious illness. The afflicted would develop cavernous ulcers all over their bodies which was discovered to be as result of a virus. Health officials soon isolated those afflicted to a secluded area on Molokai for treatment.
It isn’t long before Rachel is sent to live in Bishop House where young girls and unmarried women lived under the care of Catholic nuns. Dr Goodhue replaced Dr Oliver as resident physician and had new theories regarding controlling the outbreak. Rachel volunteered to participate with his efforts where he would surgically remove leprous area. Over time, this proves to be successful in preventing further spread and Rachel’s health began to improve.
This is a different kind of coming of age story as Rachel becomes an adult and in 1908 when she is allowed to leave the quarantined area. Aside from her uncle Pono who was sent to the colony before her, Rachel could only look forward to occasional visits from her father whose work took him traveling for long periods of time. She manages to form and maintain close friendships with Emily, Hima and Francine with whom she spent her formative years.
It’s a touching story of survival, friendship and life within the confines of a leprous colony in Hawaii.
A beautiful, poignant story, at times disheartening, at other times a story of human resilience in spite of so many obstacles. This is a beautifully written story ranging from 1890’s to 1970 following a young girl’s journey into womanhood while living on Molokai in the segregation of the peninsula set aside for the patients suffering from Hanson’s Disease. The audio book is also a wonderful rendition of the book, narrated by a woman, Anne Noelani Miyamoto, who understands the intonations & pronunciations of the Hawaiian language.
This book is an historical fiction. Tells the story about a little girl who get leprosy back when nobody knew anything about it & how to treat it. It takes you through her life. It is a compelling story. Well worth reading.
Alan Brennert’s Moloka’i is a beautifully written and moving tale of a young girl’s interaction with a leprosy colony throughout her life time. The impacts on her life as she grows older are tremendous and she loses friends and family around her fighting her own battles to survive.
The story and characters will tug at your heartstrings and push you into thinking more about your own life — and the good you have in it. If you’re able to hear someone else’s plight to survive, and you can empathize with such painful scars, you will love this book. But beware it can be sad at times.
Knowing so much of this is true, and how we as people treat one another, can be hard to swallow. It was a different time, and medicine and technology weren’t what they are today… but still… it takes books like these to show us the error of our ways.
Wow, that’s a good book. I highly recommend.
And yay for google. Part of my love for historical fiction is because I can google these places and see them outside my imagination.
I thought about reading this a while ago, but the reviews I saw either hated or loved it. I was undecided until NetGalley made Daughter of Moloka’i, the second book, available. I like reading them close together as it makes the story more cohesive, and I was in the mood for something completely different. Moloka’i can stand on it’s own as the ending doesn’t leave you hanging until the next book.
Brennert’s book begins in Honolulu, where we are introduced to the main character, Rachel Kalama, as a free-spirited child of seven years old. Rachel contracts leprosy (now known as Hansen’s disease) and is wrenched from her family and sent to live at Kalaupapa, the quarantined leprosy settlement on the island of Moloka’i.
The tale of Rachel’s life, from childhood through coming of age, marriage and triumphing over the disease in her 60’s, is full of emotion. This is a roller coaster of a ride, with happiness and joy marred by heartbreak. This book will pull at your heartstrings, but in the end it will warm your heart with a story rich with characters that highlight the resilience of the human spirit.
As for Kalaupapa, I still haven’t decided if it was good, bad or in between. No, I don’t believe in imprisoning people for diseases or putting them in internment camps based on ethnicity. Yes, it felt so wrong to just dump people there, which is literally what happened at its inception. Over the years it became a little better, certainly not an ideal situation. But while reading you keep wondering if Kalaupapa did in some way afford a chance at normalcy that living elsewhere would not have, based on the time and place this book is set. The reality is that Hansen’s was not curable, and much about the disease was a mystery. The unknown plays on people’s fears, and what would life have been like? Years after Hansen’s was considered treatable and known to not be spread by casual contact, those who obviously had Hansen’s based on their disfigurement were still living in exile among people. I can’t imagine how hard it was to find a home to live in, a job to go every day, neighbors to interact with, or strangers who didn’t hold you in contempt. How do you live a normal life when people are afraid to be near you, shun and ostracize you, yell at you that you are unclean, who think you are a vile presence? Or is it better to find peace where you can?
The writing style is simplistic, but in a good way. There isn’t a lot of flowery prose, just raw emotion that is clearly conveyed. The characters of Rachel’s ohana are well-developed, and rich in qualities such as love, courage, humor, kindness and resilience in the face of tragedy. I will leave you with my favorite quote from the book:
“God didn’t give man wings; He gave him the brain and the spirit to give himself wings. Just as He gave us the capacity to laugh when we hurt, or to struggle on when we feel like giving up.”
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