Moloka’i by Alan Brennert

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Review

This was the most amazing and one of the saddest books which I have ever read. This was probably one of the most powerful too. It is up there with Night by Elie Wiesel.  In the story a 6 year old girl, Rachel, was diagnosed with leprosy. She is immediately quarantined and removed from her family and the general population.  She is then, after about a year or so, removed from Honolulu and sent to the island of Moloka’i. People who go to Moloka’i, never return. Those were the stories which Rachel had heard. She was scared, she was sick, and she wanted her mummy and daddy. She was not allowed to go and see her parents and when she was, while she was on Honolulu and in quarantine, it was with a mesh barrier and they were not allowed to touch. Rachel’s mother and siblings then left their home town because of the disgrace. This left Rachel all alone with no idea where her mother was. Her father stayed in touch and her Uncle Pono was on the island too because he had leprosy. This story followed Rachel’s life and told of what happened and what she experienced. Who she met and who she lost. Who she made friends with and who she got rid of.

This is the only book which I have read which has made me cry within the first 3 chapters. I would recommend this book for readers 14 and up as there is some inappropriate material in it. This is really an adult book, but older teens probably will enjoy it too. This story touches you, and will change the way you view life. It shows you that life can be easily taken away, and it shows you what people did not have and what people went through and missed when they had leprosy.

I give this book 5 stars and it was AMAZING. I have to tell you to read the book and let me know you think.