Moloka'i (Moloka'i, #1) in Pick-a-Shelf

Jun 01, 2010 Kathy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorite-authors, highly-recommend, historical-fiction, favorites, a-through-z-challenge-2010, lisa-v

There's nothing quite like finishing a book and knowing that you now have a favorite to add to your list of favorite reads. While the story was as compelling a one as I've read, it was a learning novel for me, too. The absorption of Hawaii by the United States, the disease of leprosy or Hansen's disease, the leper colony of Kalaupapa on the island of Molokai (heck, the island itself), the island of Maui, early aviation. All of these subjects and more were presented in an amazing story by Brenner ...more

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Aug 03, 2018 Jenn rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2018-cover-to-cover

Fabulous! Fast paced. Informative. One of the best books I’ve ever read. The entire life of a small girl from Hawaii who has leprosy. She lives, she loves and she lusts. A guaranteed tear jerker with lots of details on life in the early 1900s with the dreaded leprosy disease. A must read for just about anyone.

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Nov 23, 2017 Rachel N. rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction, read-in-2017, family, hawaii, hansens-disease

3.5 stars rounded up

Rachel Kalama is 7 years old living in Hawaii in the 1890's when she contracts leprosy (currently known as Hansen's disease). To prevent the spread of the disease Rachel is forceably sent to the leper colony at Kalaupapa on Molokai. The book covers the span of Rachel's life though more time is spent on her childhood than later years. The author does a good job telling the history of Hansen's disease and of the colony at Kalaupapa. What I thought the book was lacking was much ...more

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Apr 12, 2010 Joanie rated it really liked it

Shelves: bookclub, south-shore-readers

I feel bad even rating this book. It took me so long to read it (life has been busy, the book isn't bad) that my initial response is just one of relief! Between it taking me so long to read the book and the book itself spanning a 70 year time frame I feel like I have been hanging out with the main character, Rachel, for most of my life.

I'm going to say 4 stars, that feels like what I would rate this if I was in any normal place where it didn't take me a month to finish.

Moloka'i is very well res I feel bad even rating this book. It took me so long to read it (life has been busy, the book isn't bad) that my initial response is just one of relief! Between it taking me so long to read the book and the book itself spanning a 70 year time frame I feel like I have been hanging out with the main character, Rachel, for most of my life.

I'm going to say 4 stars, that feels like what I would rate this if I was in any normal place where it didn't take me a month to finish.

Moloka'i is very well researched (as far as I can tell anyway) and it seems to present a true life picture of what life was like in a leper colony. Not that any of us would know if he was right or not, but still, it just seems like it must be accurate.

The book started out really strong for me and I was totally caught up in the story of 6 year old Rachel being sent off to a leper colony. The story was heartwrenchingly sad and all the more upsetting knowing it was based on historical events. It's hard for me to tell if the book lost me a bit just because I had so little time to devote to reading or if it was the story itself that did it to me.

I think I have an issue with books where so many bad things happen to one character. Granted, I know life is like that for some people, maybe for most of us if you just sat and listed out all the crappy things that have happened in the course of our lives, but I grow weary of it in books. Maybe some of it is unavoidalbe in a book that spans 70 plus years in a person's life but it wore me out. I think part of it was also due to fact that the book would skip large chunks of time so it was basically crappy event, crappy event, skip 10 years, crappy event, crappy event.

Okay, maybe there was some good stuff thrown in there but overall, it's not a happy book. Big surprise, I know, you'd think I would have clued in that a book about a young girl being sent away to a leper colony wouldn't be happy but I think all the stuff I heard about "the triumph of the human spirit" made me think things would work out a bit better for little Rachel. I guess, in the end, the fact that she kept going is a testament to her strength. I think I need to go read some chick lit now. ...more

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Apr 19, 2010 Suzanne rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction

A powerful and engaging story. I confess to having been completely ignorant about leprosy. I thought it existed in Biblical times and then died off. I have been enlightened through this novel. Reading through the author's notes, I learned that it was only 1969 when lepers did not have to be completely separated from society. I also learned that Moloka'i exists today and there are still a few lepers living on the island. Wow.

There were many emotional ups and downs as the story progresses. I kept ...more

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Feb 03, 2011 Jen rated it liked it

Shelves: 2011

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Dec 05, 2008 Tara rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fiction, 2008-favorites

When I think historical novel, I think yawn...usually. This book was utterly charming. It begins with a 7 year old girl that has leprosy and the turn of events that ends with her heading to the Leprosy Settlement on Moloka'i. What at first seems to be a death sentence then turns into a beautiful story of family, community, and hope. The characters in this book were truly original and likable. I loved it! ...more

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Oct 24, 2012 Cora rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: american-author, lost-in-fire, 20th-century, historical-fiction, hawaii, coming-of-age, illness, family, 19th-century, american-history

Moloka'i is the story of a young girl who is sent to a Leper colony on the Hawaiian island of Moloka'i. It is historical fiction that spans from 1891 to 1970. I learned a lot about Hawaiian history from reading this book. I love how the novel showcases the humanity of those struck by this horrifiying disease. I shows both the beauty and ugliness of the colony and makes the reader laugh and cry along with the main character, Rachel. After reading this book, I decided that I want to learn more abo ...more

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Jun 29, 2008 Nicole rated it really liked it

Shelves: bookclub, 2008, favorites

What an amazing book. This story of a girl seperated from her family at the age of six and exiled to suffer from leprosy alone should have been tragic, but it wasn't. It was a story about there being beauty in everything, and your family are those who surround and love you, whether or not they are related.

Though the story is fiction, the historical parts are accuate and fasciating. ...more

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