Reviews

Moloka'i by Alan Brennert

djones1994's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

kathlynnsell's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad tense 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? No

5.0

bethanybeyondthejordan's review against another edition

4.0

Audio.

I've wanted to read this for a long time, and it finally emerged from library hold purgatory about the same time as COVID-19 isolation was beginning.

This is the story of a young girl who is taken away from her family at the age of 6 and quarantined with strangers (who become family) who also have leprosy. It was timely hearing her inner thoughts about interacting with non-infected people who couldn't tell she was infected, the identity issues surrounding being unlike her family, and her journey to discovering who she is and how she fits among both those who are blood related and those who become like family.

It's an epic journey, following Rachel over the course of her lifetime, and also following the trajectory of leprosy as it became curable and lost the stigma it once carried.

I'm not usually one for sequels and series but I'm really looking forward to reading Daughter of Moloka'i.

carlytal's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

ajbenso73's review against another edition

5.0

HANDS DOWN - in my Top 10 favorite EVER!!!

Admittedly I wasn’t thrilled about the prospect of this book when chosen by my book club ladies due only to flipping through the pages and having difficulty with the beauty of the Hawaiian language and pronunciation as I read. I am thrilled that I stuck with it and broadened my horizons! It’s a beautiful and epic tale of love and loss that will stay with you long after the last page!

I’ve gifted it and recommended it many times over and will continue to do so!

cqshah's review against another edition

4.0

This hit on lots of my areas of intrest: Progressive-era history, history of medicine, race/ethnicity and cultural creolization. well done.

kdudek's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring 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? It's complicated

5.0

kareds's review against another edition

4.0

Fantastic novel on all counts. I’ll be thinking about this one for a while.

nancyadelman's review against another edition

5.0

This is an extensively researched historical novel about a leper colony established on one of Hawaii's smaller islands in the late 1800's. The story itself is about a seven year old girl named Rachel who one day finds a red mark, the mark of what was then known as Leprosy, and now known as Hansen's Disease. Rachel is taken away from her family and sent to the colony where she spends the majority of her life, and finds a new family of sorts waiting for her. This is an amazing and moving work of historical fiction. Be forewarned however, that there are many depressing sequences to this book that tend to make the reader despair of this book ever having a happy moment. But still an incredible read!

sapphirestars's review against another edition

4.0

Touching story, cried at a few parts. As much as I liked it I think I still liked Honolulu more, but this book moved me with its real to life descriptions and the love and pain of the characters.