Moloka'i

By Alan Brennert

Book #1 in the Moloka'i series

A young girl's life transforms in a leprosy settlement, defying fate.

4.2/5 Goodreads · 143,024 ratings

405 pages

$17.99Save 7%

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Bookroo's summary

In early 1900s Hawai'i, young Rachel Kalama's dreams are shattered by a mysterious mark on her skin. Exiled to the leprosy settlement of Kalaupapa, she faces a life of isolation. Yet, amidst despair, Rachel discovers resilience and hope, forging unexpected bonds and uncovering new beginnings. Will she find a way to embrace life in a place meant for endings? Her journey is a testament to the human spirit's capacity to thrive against all odds, inviting readers to explore the depths of courage and compassion in a world that seeks to confine her.

From the publisher

This richly imagined novel, set in Hawai’i more than a century ago, is an extraordinary epic of a little-known time and place—and a deeply moving testament to the resiliency of the human spirit. Rachel Kalama, a spirited seven-year-old Hawaiian girl, dreams of visiting far-off lands like her father, a merchant seaman. Then one day a rose-colored mark appears on her skin, and those dreams are stolen from her. Taken from her home and family, Rachel is sent to Kalaupapa, the quarantined leprosy settlement on the island of Moloka’i. Here her life is supposed to end—but instead she discovers it is only just beginning. With a vibrant cast of vividly realized characters, Moloka’i is the true-to-life chronicle of a people who embraced life in the face of death. Such is the warmth, humor, and compassion of this novel that few readers will remain unchanged by Rachel’s story (mostlyfiction.com).

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