This book is beautifully written. Brennert brings the reader into the life of Rachel, a Hawaiian who gets leprosy when a child. The book centers on Rachel and her life at the leper colony. It is also written at the time of Hawaii's annexation and World War II. It is heartbreaking how families are torn apart and the stigma that gets put on the ones that remain with the population. The colony is behind in the times. It is difficult to imagine how isolated they were from the rest of the world. Technology and inventions came late to the island. The way it is written the people of the colony really helped to make it a livable place.
Rachel is a strong woman; partly because she has to be to survive and also because of the supportive foundation of people (her new family) she meets on Moloka'i. There are questions in the back of the book that are worth thinking about. One of them is if the treatment and isolation of the patients was justified. This is a difficult question. At the time I think they were still trying to figure everything out. By being in their own group I think they were able to live better lives. They didn't have to be ostracized by the general public. However, I do think that there could have been more given to them. In the beginning it seems as though they are shipped off to this island to basically die. But through Rachel's life you realize that they started living again when they got to the island. Another question is if Rachel's mother Dorothy handled the situation well. I wasn't a fan of Dorothy. In the end I get a better understanding of her. But the church at the time put such an emphasis on why people got leprosy and I feel Dorothy believed in it too much. The stance of the church on the main islands and the stance of the nuns (sisters) on Moloka'i were starkly different to me. The sisters really gave depth and meaning to the story. Their heartache at watching these young children come to the island and live or die is hard to take. They have such strength that it helps Rachel and the others.
There are so many more great talking points with this book. It is a great read to learn about the colony on Moloka'i and the feelings of those that had to live there. Brennert brings in the different treatments that were tested on the patients. He also shows the growth of the people while in this isolation. It is well researched. Worth a read.