I really enjoyed this book! Very sad but also extremely interesting!

Although you would think this book would be depressing, it shows the main characters strength and love of life. You actaully feel transported to the late 1800's and can feel the Hawaiin breeze. Strong main character and a wonderful supporting cast. You feel many emotions reading this book, with many twists and turns. Wonderful read.

Moloka'i is a wonderful book set in what most people consider a beautiful part of the world. The contrast of the beauty of Hawai'i and the darkness of leprosy draws you in to this book. I loved Rachel and was honored to see her life unfold. **NOTE** The discussion questions in the back of the book contain a spoiler. Do not read them if you prefer to let the book unfold first.

excellent book. interesting subject material. Great fodder for discussion in a book club setting.

The subject matter made this book a very emotional read. Sad at times but I found it hard to put the book down for very long. I liked this book.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were beautifuly described and the setting was amazing.

The richness of the writing, particularly the descriptions of the physical surroundings as well as the character development was outstanding. It provided fodder for a very exciting and moving discussion--even without the suggested questions--to which we referred, but which we seemed to be discussing anyway.

Brenda Brunelle

In general our bookclub members, who did finish this novel, decided that this was a mediocre story supported by interesting historical facts. The constant introduction of random characters who would quickly appear and disappear was annoying. The ending gets wrapped up in a neat, perfect little bow which is sometimes annoying. Average at best.

Everyone in my book club loved this book. We marveled how Brennert could so richly create these wonderful, multi-dimensional women characters. We loved Rachel and her spirit, felt Sister Catherine's doubt and faith, experienced Haleola's different brand of spirituality. He made us feel part of Rachel's family, and that's really what this book is about. At times both funny and sad, the book is spirited and hopeful, expertly researched and beautifully written.

I loved this book, the story was fascinating and spanned a lifetime. The writing was rich with detail, and you felt like you really were there and knew the people. I learned something new in reading this book, and that I always appreciate.

It is always great to read about a place that is familiar and with our book club being in Hawaii, we chose this book as our first read. What a joy. It is amazing that a male could develop (and with such richness) the characters of the women in this story. We loved this one and have recommended it to many others who had similar reactions.

I became wrapped in the story very quickly and loved it all the way through.

Excellent book! Wonderful story of triumph in the most dire of circumstances. Rachel is a heroine throughout her life on Moloka'i. Unpredictable story that draws you in immediately. Strong father-figure is refreshing. I've read this book multiple times, and everyone to whom I recommed it LOVES it! Enjoy!

Our club really enjoyed this book--we learned about Hawaii and the take-over by the US government, about Hansen's disease, but mostly it was a really great story

We all loved this at our book club. I picked it up on recomendation from someone else, and it was everything you could hope for in a book. Highly recommend.

Great read. You might think the book would be depressing but it is actually a very rich and moving book filled with warmth. Happiness is found in the saddest of circumstances. The book is beautifully written and emotionally moving.

This is one of the best books I have ever read.

Another 15 thumbs-up from our book club! This was another of our most favorite choices. Especially since we all have daughters, it made for such great conversation & we even enjoyed the hawaiian theme around the pool.

Great book about a Hawaiian girl, Rachel, who suffered from leprosy, and was taken away from her family at a young age. The book followed her through her entire lifetime, which everyone appreciated. Very often books can leave you wondering "what next" and this book covered all bases. The description of character and environment are great, bringing the reader to another time and place that none of us had any prior knowledge about. I would suggest that book discussion questions be thought of as you read, the reader's guide questions were not great. With a little extra thought, political, ethical, and religious discussions can follow.

A sad story and some of our members really felt that it was too depressing but the historical aspects were great and the characters were developed very well.

The main characters was very strong, I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend this to book clubs.

This is a book I normally wouldn't have picked up to read, but I found myself captivated by Rachel's spirit and all the tragedy that surrounds her. It was a quick read and definitely opened my eyes to the issues people with leprosy faced their entire lives.

Wonderful story of Rachel Kalama and her life on Moloka'i. The story was engaging and we learned so much of about life in Hawaii and Moloka'i over a century ago. The book spans Rachel's entire life and the character development was very strong. Most book club members did not think they would pick out the book on their own but were very glad to have read the book. That is the wonderful part of book club, you read books you may never have picked up on your own. We were surprised that a story about Leprosy could be so engaging and interesting. Most members thought that they would have liked to have more told of Rachel's later life and her relationship with her family after she left Moloka'i. The author seemed to speed through the last years of Rachel's life.

I really liked this book.

I just finished reading this wonderful book, I will certainly recommend it to my book club. This book made me want to do more research on this place and time and these wonderful people who faced so many obstacles.

I had no idea that leprosy was treated this way 100 years ago. I don't know what I enjoyed more, the characters or the history. Plenty to discuss!

Molokai was one of my favorite books. It was a beautiful, moving story of a young woman diagnosed with leprosy and sent to a leper colony on the island of Molokai in Hawaii. Despite the terrible disease, the main character keeps great attitude and continues to perservere. Our whole book club loved this book.

Follow the main character's journey of bravery from childhood through the course of her life. Her story evokes tears, laughter, joy and sadness.

Every member of our book club loved this tale. After our discussion, one of the members pointed out that she noticed how all book club participants were referring to the characters as if they were real people...friends even. Alan Brennert is a master storyteller.

We all loved this book. Historic as well as great story teilling. Made us want to learn more about the history of Hawaii. It is over 400 pages but is a fast read.

The story was an interesting theme, but the content was slow and predictible.

It's such a depressing story and topic that I was amazed at how hopeful and inspiring the story turned out. This book teaches you that the darkest of situations can bring joy.

Truly enjoyed the story line and character development of Moloka'i.
It was so sad, but happy and insightful at the same time. Amazing....

Good character development. Many tender yet tragic story lines.
Good discussion about human response to the unfamiliar. Learned much about leprosy. Applied to experience with modern disease such as AIDS and SARS.

Moloka'i was so eye opening to me. I had no idea that there was a leper colony on the Hawiian island of Moloka'i. To have such ugly tragety take place in such a beautiful place was sad but delightful. Brennert described the beauty of the island along with the ugliness of the disease and you felt yourself transported there. I love books where I learn something about our history.

Of all the books I have read the last month this is by far my favorite. Not one for being overly sensitive I found myself misty eyed at the end

This book is very well written, has interesting information about Hawaii and the leper colony there, and is also inspiring as to the strength one has when they have to face such a demon. While there are sad parts, there are also humorous and joyful parts to Rachel's life story. I'd highly recommend it.

Historical description of a time in Hawaiian and American history (1890 to 1970) when people with leprosy were sent to the island of Kalaupapa. Through the devastating effects, treatments and social trauma; the people of Kalaupapa were able to establish a community of family, friends and normalcy that is nothing beyond inspiring. This book accurately portrays the horrors of leprosy; yet left you optimistic that their lives were richly blessed due to the perseverance of the victims and the Divine that lived within them.

Thought provoking, gut-wrenching at times, and beautifully written.

I was not expecting to love this book like I did. There is something so inspriring about the characters and what they had to deal with. Along with great characters, the setting is unique. The topic was not one I'd ever considered and I learned a lot about the disease and the struggles the afflicted people lived with.

This book was beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time. It displays the strength our souls have to endure the greatest hardships.

Fascinating read about leper colony on Molokai. Most book club members didn't know the history of the island or how recent leprosy was in the history of the US. The way the characters are isolated and ostracized was sad and at times difficult to read. But overall, they formed a strong community and found joy despite their circumstances.

Loved the book. Eye opening. Would recommend to everyone!

Our Book Club Highly recommend this book. We loved it! Emotional journey, well developed characters, excellent writing, satisfying. Well researched and respective of that time! 2 thumbs up! The Libro Ladies Bookclub!!

I highly recommend this book. It was beautifully written. An inspiring book about one woman's courage and love.

I was taken aback to find myself sobbing out loud as I read Molaka'i. A very poignant story of the residents of a leper colony that will grip your soul and redefine courage.

Something we never really think about and the rejection they encounter and the relationships the lepers form due to their illness. There was a true sadness that this kind of thing actually happens!

I loved this book. From the beginning to the end i thought this book was beautifully written. I recommend this to all book clubs out there.

This was the first book our bookclub read five years ago. It is still our favorite book.

This book was very informative and well written. I loved that it took us through Rachel's entire life and enjoyed learning more about the history of Hawaii.

Beautifully written. Could not put this down.

I cried a LOT throughout this book. It was a well written and interesting story, but I'm not sure it's worth all the tears.

I enjoyed learning about a special time & place in history through the eyes of a true Hawaiian. The book had it all, love, anger, death, birth, honor, & peace.

Beautifully written historical fiction that develops vivid and poignant characters who find beauty and wholeness admist much suffering. I highly recommend it!

This was an instantly engaging story about love, character, family and heartbreak. I loved every second of the story!

This book has great historical facts woven in the tapestry of the life of Rachel, a five year old girl that is sent as an outcast to the island of Moloka'i. She has been diagnosed with leperocy, a disease thought to be contagious, and sent to live and die on the small island with other leperocy victims. This is a great story of love, friendship, lonliness and the will to survive.

I loved the spirit of the main character as a young child. Her spirit was evident all through her life.

The eight ladies in my book club really enjoyed reading this book. Insight into what it would have been like having this disease and trying to cope with it, from a childs point of view and an adults.

This book is sad and a bit hard to get through. It's a long book and most of it is a downer, but I'm not sorry I read it. The ending made it all worthwile.

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.

This was very informative about the deplorable way in which lepers were treated initially at Molokai and how they were viewed in Hawaii as a whole. He has beautiful descriptiions of the island but these can't make up for shallow, predictable characterization. Rachel as a young girl right through the end of her life was predictable. All her interactions with other characters could be predicted. I think the author should have spent as much time making his characters real as he did researching the setting. I felt the ending was wrapped up in a bow. Way too quick given the length of the novel and too sweet.

A story of a small girl and her life on the island of Molokai. She was stricken with leprosy and sent away to the island of lepers. Very insteresting historical fiction.

Saddest story ever told. Loved the 'true events' aspect

My favorite read of this year. It is a life changing story a girl's life and the hardships she had to overcome. These hardships made her an extremely strong and inspiring person. I have never connected with a character in a book the way I have with Rachel. The story was beautifully told and you felt like you were with her every step of her life. She inspired every character in the book and she inspired everyone in our book club. I have recommended this book to many people and every person came back to tell me it was one of the most beautiful books they have ever read. Beautifully written.

It had me hooked from the start. My favorite book!--thoroughly entertaining and engaging with characters to care about. Historic tribulations with triumphant redemption.

Moloka'i transports the reader to the Hawaiian islands with its detailed descriptions. Set in the early twentieth century, the novel follows seven year old Rachael, a victim of leoprosy (Hansen's disease)who is torn from her family to be quarintined on Moloka'i. Through her eyes, the reader watches as her new friends and family succumb to the disease. Even as we despair at her many losses, we triumph when she escapes for one 'normal' night at a party when she and friends sneak away from the nuns and creep across one of Moloka'i's formidable mountains. The novel includes the USA's dubious role in 'settling' the islands, as well as its handling of Hanson's disease. Engrossing and educational.

Loved this book! Learned a lot while enjoying a beautiful story.

This book was about something I was previously unaware of, so I found it very informative.

Our Book Club suggests not reading this book without a box of tissues. Such a touching story.

We discussed the book Molokai by Alan Brennert. Scores for rating the book ranged from a 3 to 4.5 on a scale of 5. Everyone thought the author did a very good job in his character development except perhaps for the Rachel’s sister Sarah. We felt that we wanted more development about how she felt after betraying her sister’s leprosy. We also wondered why her character was not developed more when Rachel finally went to live with her after her release from the leprosy island. Noted how differently the mother treated the brother’s case of leprosy and wondered why she never attempted to make contact with Rachel. Why did the father make up stories about the family to Rachel--- to spare her feelings???? I think we were all glad that Rachel was able to be reunited with her daughter even though she had not been able to the live the type of life Rachel and Kenji visualized for her when they gave her up for adoption. Discussed a comparison of leprosy to Aids. Talked about how the nurses and Sisters never contracted leprosy even though they were in daily contact with the lepers.

I loved this book. It stayed with me after I finished it. Rachel's strength and strong will were inspiring. I look forward to reading the author's book "Honolulu" now. It is definitely on my list of must reads.

Wonderful story with deep humanity where you would least expect it. Heartwarming.

Riveting story and well written.

This is heartbreaking, yet ultimately life-affirming and hopeful. Starting in the late 1800s the reader is taken through the history surrounding the US's acquisition of Hawaii and the leprosy quarantine. Brennert intertwines the lives of his fictional characters with these real events and the lives of people who were there. Rachel's personal story is extremely heartbreaking as she has to give up her family twice in the story, yet her perseverance throughout and the somewhat happy ending redeem the story.

Everyone in the club enjoyed reading this book. Definitely need a box of tissues with this one. Many times I forgot I was reading a fictional story. We would recommend this book, and will be reading more of this author in the future.

I read Damian The Leper in the 60's when I was in high school. Molokai took me right back to the Island with a beautiful story of very sad times.

Everyone loved the book. They learned about leprosy, something they only read about in the Bible. Enjoyed the hawaiian words throughout the story.

A very heartfelt story of a young girl who is sent to a leper colony at the turn of the century in Hawaii. The characters are well developed and the story is so interesting. There is lots to discuss and I thought it to be a great book selection for a book club. There is laughter, joy, adventure, love and also sadness-all the elements of life. The story of a young girl as she growns, the history of Hawaii and the backstory of leprosy and how its treated, then and now.

Very well written. Story snags your attention and the energy never stops. One of the best written books I've read!

This book had been on my shelf for a while, and I was so glad I read it. The author does a great job of weaving the main character into the true story of the Leper Colony.

I truly enjoyed this book.

Absolutely loved this book! It is about Rachel who develops lepracy or Hansen's disease. She is separated from her family to live on the island of Molokai. She is separated from her family and this book is about how she deals with life with the disease.

Initially I really didn\\\\\\\'t want to read this book. Who would. Who wants to read a book about leprosy. And that\\\\\\\'s the point. How did Hawaiians deal with their afflicted citizens, friends and family. To overcome our hesitancy, Alan Brennert created an engaging heroine, Rachel. Rachel is fun and adventurous and not afraid to break the rules. She grows into a wonderful woman. Molokai follows Rachel from the time when, as a little girl, she\\\\\\\'s diagnosed and segregated to live on Molokai away from her family. Rachel is the conduit through which Alan highlights the joys and sorrows of those living in the leper colony on Moloka\\\\\\\'i, so by the end I did feel as though Rachel was living through the Perils of Pauline (a bit), the woman she grew into faced everything with dignity. I recommend this book.

I enjoyed this book as it moved me to research more about leprosy and the island of Molokai. It was a great story with a foundation in truth. Well written.

This book was very insightful, I learned a lot about Hawaii, their customs, the Hanson disease and realized so much I didn't know about the history of Hawaii. I thought it was well written.

Great read....at times sad, but shows the triumph of the human spirit...

A heart-wrenching tale, delicately told. Excellent fodor for a book club discussion.

Alan Brennert you are so inspirational! Characters well thought out, the details of the Leper colony was almost like another character in the story. Beautiful story weaving historical facts with well thought out fiction.
Breakout the tissues!

The author shows tremendous insight and compassion for her characters and the situation of the lepers destined to live on the lonely and isolated colony on Molokai. Rachel\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s story is compelling and reminds the reader of the immense improvements in the care of patients with Hansen\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s Disease . The living conditions were below standard but the optimism and the joyfulness that Mr. Brennert brought to life makes this a compelling read. Even in the face of adversity, there is always hope and the humanity even amongst those who need help the most.

My book group became Alan Brennert fans when we read Molokai in February 2008. Absolutely 100% Love It! A learning experience along with captivating history and a story of family.

Our book club loved this book, and it provided for good discussion!

This book was fabulous -- one of my all time favorites -- I didn't want it to end.

We found the book a bit slow on character development with a bit too much history and information crammed into the beginning. The book seemed to develop into an interesting read at different points for different people. Almost all of our readers had no idea that such a place as Moloka\\\'i even existed and found the history, medical quarantines, and time period to be very interesting. This book was a real tear jerker for a few members, but most commented that they didn\\\'t feel connected enough to the characters. All enjoyed the read and some had similar comments about Honolulu.

This was one of our best discussions. There were such rich characters in this book & the courage & strength they showed dealing with what life dealt them was truly inspiring! Thank heaven we know very little today about leprosy, but this was an education about it we all appreciated.

From beginning to end it was engrossing. Felt like I was living Rachel's life. Having been to the places mentioned in the book, I felt even closer. I felt all her emotions.

Our group had mixed opinions about this book. Most of us really liked it and enjoyed learning about this period iin history and especially about leper colony. Others did like it because it was sad. The book is well researched but perhaps a little too long.

I would add the word educational to describe this book.

Thought provoking book as to the treatment of leprosy then and now and the lives of those who had to endure
this lifestyle when infected with the disease

This is a compelling story about a girl sent to live in the leper colony established on an island in Hawaii. The historical details help you settle in for an emotional ride as you follow these young girls through their life on the isolated island.
While definitely a tribute to the human spirit, there are enough depressing truths to keep you involved and experience the angst right along with the residents and the nuns who made it their mission to live with and minister to them.

This will open your eyes to a world of wonderful people. Well researched and written.

Beautiful story and the club felt we learned so much about the topic that no one really knew the details of this illness. So informative with a beautiful story so well written. When this book was chosen, I heard oh's and on no's...but everyone really loved the book in the end. It was picked as one of our favorite's that year and they still bring up some details from time to time. What a writer. I will try to watch for the next one by this author.

This book leads you through a life of someone with leprosy - a life you would never imagine, but was a reality for many people. The descriptions were very interesting, but I found the pace of book quite slow. It's a good book for discussion, because of the topic. The struggles these characters had are worthy of discussion.

Heartbreaking and very educational dramatization of a very important and yet difficult era for Hawaii.

Well written, a fictional story woven into true history shares what it might have been like for a young woman who's "convicted" with leprosy.

I was not excited when this was my book club's choice. But, I ended up absolutely loving this book and will read more by the author. It was fascinating and the story, although mostly sad, was so interesting that it wasn't depressing to me.

Rachel is seven years old and living in Hawaii, when it is discovered that she has contracted leprosy. She is taken away from her family and must live on Moloka'i in the leper colony. The story begins in the late eighteen hundreds and follows Rachel until adulthood.
It is beautifully written as well as heartbreaking at times.

In this historical novel, Alan Brennert (known previously for his comic book writing and more professional ventures) explores the cultural and social issues surrounding the leper colony on Moloka'I, Kaluapapa. In the early 20th century, a 7 year old girl is sent to be quarantined on the colony site. Little does she know that a lifetime of the most unexpected mix of tragedy and anguish await her. Touching on cultural issues such as Father Damien, the different Christian denominations seeking to help the lepers butting heads with native healers, World War II, the stigma surrounding leprosy, and more, the length of the novel is justifiable. Brennert shows exquisite empathy and captures the perspective of a girl - who then grows into a young woman - surprisingly well. I enjoyed the overall plot and characterizations, despite the regularity of tragedy (suitable given the context). However, there were a few plot points that seemed thrown in for no apparent reason. In addition, there seem to have been occasional inaccuracies in cultural details (I noticed a few discrepancies in the portrayal of Catholic clergy and nuns, but they were minor). It is difficult to achieve perfect accuracy in such a far-reaching novel, so it only takes away somewhat from the novel. This is a great choice for book club discussions!