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1 Beaverton Literature- A to Z

Moloka'i

by Alan Brennert

Moloka'i Cover

ISBN13: 9780312304355
ISBN10: 0312304358
Condition: Standard
All Product Details

Only 1 left in stock at $7.95!

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

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.

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).

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. Visit Alan on the Web at www.alanbrennert.com or email alan@alanbrennert.com for a chance to have him call in to your reading group!

What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 2 comments:
ladymorgaine82, July 22, 2009 (view all comments by ladymorgaine82)
This ended up being a fascinating book. I was drawn to the characters and learned about something I had never heard of before - an island of lepers in Hawaii. Families were split apart, young children taken from their homes, and sent to Moloka'i. The book follows the life of one young girl who is sent at the age of 7 to Moloka'i and lives out her life on the island. I love the fact that it follows her entire life span and you grow up with her on this island and see what it must have been like. Alan Brennert really did his research and I think he created an accurate portrayal of what it must have been like.
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happywind, February 21, 2009 (view all comments by happywind)
I found Brennert's characters engaging and thought the historical references added realism and insight into the leper colony tale. I came away realizing it wasn't so much a place to go to die, as I previously imagined, as a place to finish living.
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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)
Edition Description:
First
Publication Date:
October 2004
Binding:
Paperback
Language:
English
Pages:
400
Dimensions:
8.34x5.44x1.10 in. .84 lbs.

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