Review: Moloka'i (by Alan Brennert)

 My Rating: 5 stars

Several months ago, I was offered an ARC from the publisher for Alan Brennert’s newest novel Daughter of Moloka’i (which is scheduled to be published in February).   At the time, I skimmed the brief synopsis of the book that came with the email and that, along with the knowledge that the book would be in the historical fiction genre (one of my favorite genres), was enough for me to make the decision to accept the ARC I was offered.  Thinking at the time that the book was a standalone novel, it wasn’t until the end of last year, as I was planning my upcoming reads for 2019, that I read a more in-depth summary of the book and discovered that it is actually a sequel to a novel that Brennert had written 15 years ago, a bestseller from 2003 titled Moloka’i.  I put the book on my TBR list hoping I would get a chance to read it before reading the sequel.  A few weeks later, as I was browsing at a used book store I had recently discovered, I unexpectedly came across a paperback version of Moloka’i – coincidence or not, I knew right then and there that this was a book I just had to read, so I decided to take a much needed break from my ARCs list and squeeze this one in.  I am glad I did so, as I ended up loving this book and am happy to say that it is my very first 5 star read of 2019!

Prior to reading Brennert’s beautifully written masterpiece, I actually had no clue that there once existed a quarantined leprosy settlement on the Hawaiian island of Moloka’i.  I also knew very little about leprosy (now known as Hansen’s disease) itself outside of brief mentions I had come across many years ago that talked mostly about the physical deformities associated with the disease.  With this little bit of knowledge to go on, I went into this book expecting a heavily depressing story, one that I wasn’t sure I would be able to handle.  Now I know that I need not have worried, as instead of a depressing read, I was treated to an exquisite, beautiful, moving story about life, love, family, and strength in the face of adversity – a story that, while sad and heartbreaking, was also simultaneously hopeful and uplifting.  I appreciate the fact that Brennert took a humanistic approach with this story in that he was able to give leprosy patients a voice and show the world that, at the end of the day, these were ordinary people just like the rest of us, with the only difference being the horrible disease they were afflicted with, through no fault of their own, that forced them to live under extraordinary circumstances and make heartbreaking sacrifices that many of us often take for granted.

I loved all the characters in this story and really connected to all of them on an emotional level.  I especially loved the main character Rachel Kalama, whose story, albeit fictional, is beautifully rendered in here.  When she is discovered to have leprosy at the young age of 7, Rachel is taken from her family and exiled to the leprosy settlement on the island of Moloka’i, first at the Bishop Home for girls where she is cared for by the Franciscan sisters, then later, in adulthood, living on her own in Kalaupapa.  Despite the natural beauty of its terrain, Moloka’i is a desolate place, isolated from the world, where leprosy patients are sent to die — an “open grave” in a sense where the number of people who meet their deaths far outnumber those who survive. Yet, in such circumstances, Rachel and those she meets here, her new “family,” are determined to make the best of their situation, defying the odds and living their lives to the fullest — they go to gatherings, date, fall in love, get married and do everything else that others in a “normal” society would do.  Living out most of her life on the settlement, having to watch her friends succumb to death one after another, then later having to give up her beloved daughter, forcibly separated from her just like she herself was from her parents, Rachel shows incredible endurance and strength even in the face of so much tragedy and sacrifice.  Rachel is one of those unforgettable characters whose strength, bravery, and resilience touched my heart to the point that I continue to think about her and everything she went through long after finishing this book. 

One common characteristic with most of the books I’ve rated 5 stars is that almost all of them were emotional reads for me on some level.  This book was certainly no exception, as the roller coaster of emotions I felt while reading it never ceased – the story and characters gripped my heart from the very first page and never let go.  I found myself crying tears of sadness each time something bad happened to one of the characters and as the progression of the disease took one life after another, tears of joy each time one of the characters is able to overcome a small triumph over the disease as well as the moments of happiness that they are able to enjoy despite the circumstances, and of course tears of anguish each time one of the characters had to unfairly endure harsh words or cruel treatment from others in society that were guided mostly by fear and ignorance.  Reading this book, it is hard not to be drawn in emotionally and even after finishing, I know this is a story that will stay with me for a long time to come.

Good books have the innate ability to transport us, as readers, to a completely different world, to experience things (however briefly) that are beyond our reach, to gain knowledge about things that we probably would never have explored otherwise, and most importantly, to provoke us to think and reflect upon the attitudes, beliefs, values that we uphold in our lives and the impact these have on others.  This book definitely checked all the boxes for me and then some!  This book is historical fiction at its finest and one that I absolutely recommend, without a doubt.  Now that I’ve experienced Rachel’s story, I can’t wait to read her daughter Ruth’s story in Brennert’s follow-up novel Daughter of Moloka’i next month!