jraia's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
shaysbookshelf_'s review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jhalloran99's review against another edition
2.0
I tried really hard to like this book but it was so poorly written I couldn't get on board. The sentence structure was basically "See Spot. See Spot run. Spot is a good dog." There was no complexity, nothing was left for the reader to work out on their own.
It seemed like Alan Brennert did all this research and decided to include everything he found, whether or not it added to the story. It was all over the map and I didn't really enjoy reading it. Do not recommend. There is much better historical fiction out there.
It seemed like Alan Brennert did all this research and decided to include everything he found, whether or not it added to the story. It was all over the map and I didn't really enjoy reading it. Do not recommend. There is much better historical fiction out there.
ericalynne5's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
hheartbooks's review against another edition
5.0
Loved this book!! Very original and heart felt. It seemed to flow well; you empathized with the character from the very beginning.
kayla_king's review against another edition
2.0
I read this book for a book club and wasn't particularly interested in the subject matter, but I tried to go into it with an open mind. There were things I liked about the book; firstly, it had some very heartfelt moments. While it was a bit grim and depressing to read about, I had no idea about the Hawaiian leper colonies, and it was interesting to learn more about this disease outside of biblical context.
I actually liked the book more at the beginning, learning about Rachel's childhood, her contraction of the disease and her forced seclusion on Molokai. But ultimately I felt that it crammed too much into one story. For example, the death of Rachel's father is mentioned only in passing, in one brief sentence. Some characters never got developed, like Rachel's friend Francine. When the characters and scenes are given space to come to life, it was very beautiful. Unfortunately, this didn't always happen, and I felt like I was on a whirlwind ride, springing from one chapter of this woman's life to the next. It dropped historical moments alongside these personal events too, like the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and again, it was just sort of dizzying to race along 60+ years of this woman's life and American History.
I give this book credit for being very moving at times, but for me, it just wasn't a super enjoyable read overall.
I actually liked the book more at the beginning, learning about Rachel's childhood, her contraction of the disease and her forced seclusion on Molokai. But ultimately I felt that it crammed too much into one story. For example, the death of Rachel's father is mentioned only in passing, in one brief sentence. Some characters never got developed, like Rachel's friend Francine. When the characters and scenes are given space to come to life, it was very beautiful. Unfortunately, this didn't always happen, and I felt like I was on a whirlwind ride, springing from one chapter of this woman's life to the next. It dropped historical moments alongside these personal events too, like the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and again, it was just sort of dizzying to race along 60+ years of this woman's life and American History.
I give this book credit for being very moving at times, but for me, it just wasn't a super enjoyable read overall.
derekcheah's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
mindyb33's review against another edition
4.0
Molokai
After returning from vacation in Hawaii this was a good read. This story is very sad dealing with the disease and social ostracism of Leprosy.
After returning from vacation in Hawaii this was a good read. This story is very sad dealing with the disease and social ostracism of Leprosy.
dkai's review against another edition
4.0
Despite being written by a white man, it's ultimately a well-researched historical novel covering many events and topics. Character development and events can sometimes be rushed, and there's definitely a bit of "man writing woman character" energy, but I feel like it handled these pretty well overall compared to other historical novels. On any issue (religion, non-binary genders, etc) the book leaned towards mutual understanding without emphasizing one side over another.