Moloka'i

 

“Moloka’i” by Alan Brennert
Published by St Martin’s Press
 
I absolutely LOVED this historical fiction – it is the first book in a long time to have me reading with tears running down my cheeks as I finished it.  That is how engrossed in the story I was.  I also learned so much about Hawaii’s past and the Hawaiian culture.
 
This story takes place over a span of 79 years, centered around the life of a young girl sent to be quarantined in a leper community on one of the islands in Hawaii.  It is assumed that people are simply sent there to die but the way the community comes together to support each other through life’s challenges (and endings) is so heartwarming.  They become one another’s new ‘ohana (family).
 
Finished 5/24/24 – 5/5 stars
 
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