Moloka'i

By Alan Brennert
What a phenomenal book - it was sooo good. I also think it would make an excellent beach read - since that season is upon us. It was such a page turner there were a few times I intended to put it down and 25 pages later I remembered I was supposed to stop reading. Those are my favorite kinds of books :)

The book is about Hawaii from the turn of the century onward and leprosy, if I had to put the book into a ridiculously small nutshell. Since Hawaii is such a remote and removed cluster of islands, Hawaiians were very susceptible to diseases, not having exposure to them all along like bigger countries. So they were particularly hard-hit at the turn of the century with leprosy, and their government's answer was to quarantine the lepers on an island - Moloka'i. The story follows Rachel's journey as a young girl shipped off to Moloka'i and the relationships she forms ... it's so vast and so well told. It was very much a book you get enveloped in and don't want to end. Though I've never been to Hawaii myself, I felt like I could see the places, and it would be an even cooler book if you have visited Hawaii!

I don't have many deep insights at this time, I just was very fulfilled by reading this book. The writing was captivating and story moved really fast. It also walked that fine line between being absolutely heart-wrenchingly sad, but also at the same time really full of hope and wonderful relationships and characters. Love it!