Honestly the only reason I finished this book was pure determination and fear of failure

I read this years ago, but wanted to refresh my memory before I read his sequel which recently came out. I enjoyed it just as much this 2nd read.

Really interesting and well-written piece of historical fiction set in Hawaii’s leper colony. The stories of the people who lived there are told from 3 points of view, starting with a white doctor studying leprosy.

I read this book two decades ago when I bought it in a bookstore on Molokai; now there's another book out with the same title, so I need to read this one again. I remember it being very well-written, and the story, of course, is heartbreaking. I've now been to Kalaupapa and am planning to go again--it's a beautiful, sacred, spiritual place, and it's haunting to stand within sight of where so many people were unceremoniously dumped overboard and then left to fend for themselves. The stories of Father Damien (now a saint) and Sister Marianne (has she been sainted? I'll have to look that up.) are inspirational.

An interesting book with some unique characters.

One of my all-time favorite books is "Molokai" by Alan Brennert. So I was intrigued when I found out that there was another book about the leper colony on Molokai, written several decades earlier, and has as a main character the famous Father Damien of said leper colony.

This book goes about telling the leper colony's story a bit differently than Brennert's book. While Brennert tells an epic tale of one woman's life before and after leprosy, Bushnell (apparently a noted scholar on all things Hawaii) tells the stories of a doctor who treats leprosy (though not necessarily lepers themselves) and several native Hawaiians who have various reasons for being there. Father Damien is a prominent figure in the but not a main character.

The interweaving of their stories is fascinating, as Bushnell is an adept story-teller. And I guarantee that you will be Googling parts of it!

Great book!

This book of historical fiction outlines the tragedy of those who contracted leprosy and who were sent to live on Moloka'i more than a century ago. Rachel Kalama is a six-year-old girl who is torn from her family, sent unaccompanied except for other leprosy patients, to the island to a quarantined leprosy settlement. Here, where her life is supposed to end, she grows up, marries, has a child who is taken from her to halt the spread of the disease. This is Rachel's story, and the story of those who lived bravely with the disease, those who cared for and treated the disease of others, and those who loved or abandoned their relatives who had contracted leprosy.

It is indeed a full story, one that will accompany you in the future. Rachel's spirit, to live, not to die, her accomplishments, her disappointments and triumphs bring hope for all those who suffer conditions that are not yet curable. It will give you a sense of priority, and the recognition of what is nuisance in life, and what is important.

Again wish we could give 1/2 stars I would give it 4.5. It was well written very interesting and HEARTBREAKING!!!!! I sobbed my way though this book. It is about a Leper colony, no one ever lives happily ever after in a leper colony. No one. (This is not a spoiler, this is common sense) What made this tale so heart wrenching was that, despite it being a historical fiction, things in it totally happened in real life. (SPOILER) they did send small children to the Leper colony (and from reading other books about it) sometimes allowed relatives to come and sometimes not. They did take babies from moms (for their own "good" ) This book glosses over the fact that "might makes right" did rule the island for some time, there was rapeing and beatings and all sorts of horridness. If you want a tear jearker (probably mostly for moms) (unless you are a communist psychopath with no feelings) this will do it. If you liked this book you will like Hawaii by James Michener.

I picked up this book because I did not know that Molokai had served as a leper colony, and I was interested in learning more about both the illness and what life may have been like in a leper colony. This book did ont disappoint on either of those fronts. While this is told from the perspective of a fictional character, the disease, the societal fears, and the situations faced by the patients became very real through this book.

Warning - this book will cause tears! I was shocked by the harshness of the quarantine rules, I guess I never realized before that children were ripped from their families, and what that must have done to both the children and the parents and siblings.

It's a long book, but one I was enthralled by, and am very glad I read. I will definitely look for more books by this author.

Mature themes, but my homeschooled high schooler read it as a tie in to her 20th century studies.

I loved this book and was very captivated from the beginning to the end.

Easily a 4.5 star. So beautifully told. I read this because it’s one of those where I never see a bad review and everyone is right. Can’t wait for the next one!