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Original Essays | April 29, 2013

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Moloka'i

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Moloka'i Cover

ISBN13: 9780312304355
ISBN10: 0312304358
Condition: Standard
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Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

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).

Alan Brennert is a novelist as well as an Emmy Award-winning screenwriter.  He lives in Southern California, but his heart is in Hawai'i.
Rachel Kalama is a spirited seven-year-old Hawaiian girl who dreams of traveling to far-off lands like her father, a merchant seaman. When a rose-colored mark appears on her skin, those dreams are no longer possibilities. Rachel is sent to Kalaupapa, the quarantined leprosy settlement on the island of Moloka'i.  Here, separated from her home and family, her life is supposed to end.  Instead, Rachel discovers it is only beginning.  With a cast of vividly realized characters, Moloka'i is the true-to-life chronicle of a people who embraced life in the face of death.
"Moloka'i is a haunting story of tragedy in a Pacific paradise."—Robert Morgan, author of Gap Creek
 
"Alan Brennert draws on historical accounts of Kalaupapa and weaves in traditional Hawaiian stories and customs . . . Moloka'i is the story of people who had much taken from them but also gained an unexpected new family and community in the process."—Chicago Tribune

"Brennert evokes the evolution of—and hardships on—Moloka'i in engaging prose that conveys a strong sense of place."—National Geographic Traveler

"Brennert's compassion makes Rachel a memorable character, and his smooth storytelling vividly brings early twentieth-century Hawai'i to life."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Synopsis:

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).

Synopsis:

Young Rachel Kalama, growing up in idyllic Honolulu in the 1890s, is part of a big, loving Hawaiian family, and dreams of seeing the far-off lands that her father, a merchant seaman, often visits. But at the age of seven, Rachel and her dreams are shattered by the discovery that she has leprosy. Forcibly removed from her family, she is sent to Kalaupapa, the isolated leper colony on the island of Moloka'i.
In her exile she finds a family of friends to replace the family she's lost: a native healer, Haleola, who becomes her adopted "auntie" and makes Rachel aware of the rich culture and mythology of her people; Sister Mary Catherine Voorhies, one of the Franciscan sisters who care for young girls at Kalaupapa; and the beautiful, worldly Leilani, who harbors a surprising secret. At Kalaupapa she also meets the man she will one day marry.
True to historical accounts, "Moloka'i is the story of an extraordinary human drama, the full scope and pathos of which has never been told before in fiction. But Rachel's life, though shadowed by disease, isolation, and tragedy, is also one of joy, courage, and dignity. This is a story about life, not death; hope, not despair. It is not about the failings of flesh, but the strength of the human spirit.
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About the Author

Alan Brennert is a novelist (Time and Chance) as well as an Emmy Award-winning screenwriter (L.A. Law). He lives in Southern California, but his heart is in Hawai'i.
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What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 6 comments:
3Kcats, February 3, 2012 (view all comments by 3Kcats)
I really enjoyed this book. I had read a Nonfiction account of the colony (The Colony by John Tayman) which was very good, but this story told as a fiction account helped me connect to the characters in a different way. This is also a "One Book, One San Diego" selection for 2012 and I'm so glad that it is. I am hoping to be able to attend one of the citywide discussions of the book this year.
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BethAnn, September 1, 2011 (view all comments by BethAnn)
A beautiful story of the creation of community on moloka'i. Told through the voice of a seven year girl from 1891-1970. Hers i's a compelling story of the human spirit. Told in facinating details that includes real events and people (read The Colony by John Tayman) you won't be able to put it down. I find myself thinking of the book long after I put it down. If youve ever been fascinated by the leprosy colony or never heard the story before you'll love this book
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Carly, January 1, 2011 (view all comments by Carly)
I am always impressed by authors who can cover decades of a person's life in one novel, and do it well. I Moloka'i, Brennert does just that. And, in doing so shows the reader a little-known part of Hawaiian-U.S. history. Or, at least a part that I knew little about... and I was inspired to do further reading on the topic. The novel's protagonist, Rachel Kalama, is amazing, and completely believable.
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Product Details

ISBN:
9780312304355
Author:
Brennert, Alan
Publisher:
St. Martin's Griffin
Subject:
General
Subject:
Historical
Subject:
Psychological fiction
Subject:
Kalaupapa (Hawaii)
Subject:
Literature-A to Z
Copyright:
2004
Edition Description:
Trade Paper
Publication Date:
20041004
Binding:
Electronic book text in proprietary or open standard format
Grade Level:
General/trade
Language:
English
Pages:
416
Dimensions:
8.27 x 5.45 x 1.125 in
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Related Subjects


Featured Titles » Literature
Fiction and Poetry » Literature » A to Z
History and Social Science » American Studies » Popular Culture

Moloka'i Used Trade Paper
0 stars - 0 reviews
$8.95 In Stock
Product details 416 pages Griffin - English 9780312304355 Reviews:
"Synopsis" by ,
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).
"Synopsis" by , Young Rachel Kalama, growing up in idyllic Honolulu in the 1890s, is part of a big, loving Hawaiian family, and dreams of seeing the far-off lands that her father, a merchant seaman, often visits. But at the age of seven, Rachel and her dreams are shattered by the discovery that she has leprosy. Forcibly removed from her family, she is sent to Kalaupapa, the isolated leper colony on the island of Moloka'i.
In her exile she finds a family of friends to replace the family she's lost: a native healer, Haleola, who becomes her adopted "auntie" and makes Rachel aware of the rich culture and mythology of her people; Sister Mary Catherine Voorhies, one of the Franciscan sisters who care for young girls at Kalaupapa; and the beautiful, worldly Leilani, who harbors a surprising secret. At Kalaupapa she also meets the man she will one day marry.
True to historical accounts, "Moloka'i is the story of an extraordinary human drama, the full scope and pathos of which has never been told before in fiction. But Rachel's life, though shadowed by disease, isolation, and tragedy, is also one of joy, courage, and dignity. This is a story about life, not death; hope, not despair. It is not about the failings of flesh, but the strength of the human spirit.
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