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Camie's Reviews > Moloka'i
Moloka'i (Moloka'i, #1)
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"God doesn't give anyone leprosy. He gives us, if we choose to use it, the spirit to live with leprosy, and with the imminence of death. Because it is in our own mortality that we are most divine."
Anyone who knows my families health history will know why this book spoke to me. There's nothing like a heaping helping of illness to change ones perspective on life. Rachel is just seven years old when she is taken from her family and banished to the island Moloka'i having been found to have Leprosy. This is a very well researched work of historical fiction that is made even more heartrending as it's based on the lives of many Hawaiians who actually faced this tragic fate in the early twentieth century. Scorned, feared, and exiled they confront lives altered by a disease that threatens to slowly destroy them both body and soul. It's been awhile since I read a book that I had to set down several times just to regroup. 5 stars
Anyone who knows my families health history will know why this book spoke to me. There's nothing like a heaping helping of illness to change ones perspective on life. Rachel is just seven years old when she is taken from her family and banished to the island Moloka'i having been found to have Leprosy. This is a very well researched work of historical fiction that is made even more heartrending as it's based on the lives of many Hawaiians who actually faced this tragic fate in the early twentieth century. Scorned, feared, and exiled they confront lives altered by a disease that threatens to slowly destroy them both body and soul. It's been awhile since I read a book that I had to set down several times just to regroup. 5 stars
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Reading Progress
March 18, 2016
–
Started Reading
March 18, 2016
– Shelved
March 23, 2016
–
Finished Reading
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Diane S ☔
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rated it 4 stars
Mar 23, 2016 01:49PM
Good review, Camie this was a very memorable story.
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I liked this book too. Very illuminating on the history of the disease.
Good review Camie. I have this one, maybe I should bump it up.
This is one of my all time favs . You should Honolulu too
I had to set this one down a few times too. Lots of tears.
Amazing review. I love that quote you shared.
Nice review, Camie. It's been on my list .
Wow. Excellent review. I need to read this sooner than later. Thank you.
Great review, Camie. I have this book and need to read it!
As a coincidence, I'm reading Jack London's South Sea Tales and just this week learned about the leper colony of Moloka'i and a little about the disease. The disfiguring effects of leprosy and the policy of separating lepers from their families is hard to imagine today.
Thanks, this is a really interesting book about a time and place in history I really knew almost nothing about. Besides the emotional story there is a lot of history covered here, including the bombing of Pearl Harbor , Japanese interment camps etc. So much tragedy because people at that time had so little understanding of so many things on so many levels. Yes, I'm also very interested in reading Honolulu.
I was visiting my parents one spring & my mother took me to her book club meeting where they were discussing this book. I hadn't heard of it before, but read it afterwards. I admired Rachel's spirit so much. Loved this book, too, for many reasons.
Very good review, Camie. It's quite special when a book speaks to you (although very emotional as you said). I think the cover is beautiful. I'm adding this one to my list as well :)
I loved it too Camie.....great review!
