Title: Moloka'i Author: Alan Brennert type of book: Historical Fiction call number: Fic

This book is strong in character, story and setting.

Summary:
Seven-year-old Rachel Kalama loves her life on idyllic Hawaii and dreams of travel to distant places like her merchant seaman father . . . until she is found to have leprosy. Forcibly removed from her parents and sent to the leper's colony on Molokai, Rachel finds friendship, love, and eventually health as she grows to adulthood during the first part of the 20th Century.

I would recommend this book!

Why?
True to historical accounts, and peopled with real historical figures, this book tells a story I knew little about. Disease and death are surmounted by dignity and humanity. In telling Rachel's story, the author also teaches you about Hawaii's history, as Rachel lives through monarchy, statehood, Pearl Harbor, and the development of sulfa drugs that eventually halt the progression of her disease. The author wrote screenplays for "LA Law," so far from being a dry history lesson, this book sizzles with plot twists, romance and intrigue.

Other suggested reading:

If you want to read more about the lepers of Molokai, try the biography Damien the Leper - a Life of Magnificent Courage, Devotion and Sacrifice by John Farrow.

Employee Initials: SB Review Date: October 2003

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