Moloka'i: A Novel [B0178]

2004 - 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.

From recent Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "Absolutely wonderful! I know want to read all of this author's books about a beautiful place with even more beautiful people. Set in a leper colony, this novel touches on Christianity, traditional Hawaiian beliefs, and the resiliency of the human spirit."; "This story has a lot of sadness. Just when you think it can't get any sadder, it gets sadder."; "Had this book not been for book club, I probably would not have finished, just due to the heaviness of it. However, I'm really glad I stuck with it! I learned a lot more about Hawaiian history and before this book I had never heard of this "leper" colony. It's very sad to hear what so many people experienced, but also the beauty of the lives they created together."