This is a true to fact historical account of the conditions of living in the Leprosy Colony on the island of Molokai, Hawaii during the late 1800’s. It is told through the character of Rachel Kalama, a 7 yr.old child who is torn from her family after being diagnosed with Hansen’s Disease (referred to then as Leprosy), and placed in the isolated Leper colony with her uncle who also had Hansen’s and is her only family member there.

As she begins her new life encountering the abominable living conditions, stigma, and isolation, Rachel experiences “Ohana” which is the Hawaiian word for family, extended family, and community support through the relationships she forms with the other sufferers of Hansen’s, the nun that helps her, the adopted aunt Haleola, her best friend Leilani, and the men in her life. From them Rachel finds hope, joy, dignity, and courage to overcome the obstacles she encountered and to find a life full of love.

Our group liked the author’s, lush, verdant descriptions of the island’s beauty and how he related some of the beautiful Hawaiian Folk tales and traditions. While most of us were aware of the “Leper Colony” that existed on Molokai, we had little knowledge of Hansen’s disease and how the people and the government responded to it by ostracizing the sufferers, imprisoning them in such conditions, and literally forgetting about them. We explored their motivations for this treatment and agreed that the overwhelming motive was probably due to fear and ignorance of this unknown disease, as has been the case for over 4000 years and exists still in many developing cultures.

The story was very engaging with many emotional ups and downs and an upbeat ending, particularly when Rachel learns to forgive her sister Sarah, who as a child had accidentally betrayed her resulting in her being sent to the colony. We agreed that it was a very worthwhile read.