Moloka'i

(Overview)

This richly imagined novel, set in Hawai'i more than a century ago, is an extraordinary epic of a little-known time and place—-and a deeply moving testament to the resiliency of the human spirit.

Rachel Kalama, a spirited seven-year-old Hawaiian girl, dreams of visiting far-off lands like her father, a merchant seaman. Then one day a rose-colored mark appears on her skin, and those dreams are stolen from her. Taken from her home and family, Rachel is sent to Kalaupapa, the quarantined leprosy settlement on the island of Moloka'i. Here her life is supposed to end—-but instead she discovers it is only just beginning.

With a vibrant cast of vividly realized characters, Moloka'i is the true-to-life chronicle of a people who embraced life in the face of death. Such is the warmth, humor, and compassion of this novel that "few readers will remain unchanged by Rachel's story" (mostlyfiction.com).


Being that historical fiction is my favorite genre, I was very intrigued to read this true to life story about a secluded leprosy colony in the Hawaiian islands. This is a heart wrenching tale that includes many interesting and informative facts not just about the leprosy colony, but also about the end of the Hawaiian monarchy, technological advancements of the day, and Pearl Harbor just to name a few. The main character Rachel is only 7 when she is literally whisked away and forced to begin a new life in a tiny quarantined settlement where she finds and forms a new "family" and makes friends that will help make her life and her future easier to bear. I could only imagine the sorrow and loss of families being torn apart and ostracised by this disease that the society of the time did not understand or know how to sufficiently treat medically. There are so many wonderful life lessons in this book. The lepers try to carry on a life that is meaningful and filled with as much joy as is possible. They form a strong community bond, there are those that get married, and they also care for those to weak to care for themselves. They watch out for each other and also many times are helpless to watch them succumb to the disease and are left to bury their friends and know that they are all destined to the same fate. Set in such a beautifully exotic location, I could imagine the crashing waves, the swaying palm trees, and the balmy weather that was the backdrop of the story but almost became like it's own character. I was glad to learn something new by reading this book and I think Rachel is now one of my favorite characters. Her life takes so many interesting twists and turns, I had no idea how it would all wrap up in the end. As I finished the last page of the book, I instantly thought of a quote to summarize my feelings from the book - "bloom where you're planted".  Rachel had a life that was doomed to death and despair and instead made it into something to be admired.