Moloka'i

Moloka'i by Alan Brennert; reviewed by Lizzy

       Moloka’i is beautiful—the book as well as the island. Alan Brennert follows the life of Rachel Kalama, who is diagnosed with leprosy at the age of six in Honolulu, 1891. Taken immediately from her family, Rachel is placed in Kalihi medical facility for a year before being transferred to the leper colony on the remote Hawaiian island of Moloka’i for over forty years. This wonderful book follows Rachel through her years searching for love and life in “a place for the dead.”

      Moloka’i presented me with a glimpse at a life both strikingly similar to and yet totally different from life in the rest of the world. Just as I was forgetting that Rachel and her loved ones on Moloka’i had leprosy and becoming wrapped in their lifelike emotions, Brennert would gently remind me that all of these people suffered from “the separating sickness” that tore apart families with a mention of dying flesh on living bodies. Brennert skillfully brought Rachel to life and made me believe in her bravery, empathy, and capacity for love in impossible situations. Through love, death, and everything in between, Moloka’i retained a beautiful tone and kept me emotionally invested—I’ll admit I teared up at some points. I highly recommend this book to readers of all kinds. It's available at GGP now!

**This book is also very highly recommended by staffer Krystle!