Fiction Book Club
Moloka'i
by Alan Brennert
Buy book: $16.73

Young Rachel Kalama, growing up in Honolulu in the 1890s, is part of a big, loving Hawaiian family but, at the age of seven, Rachel's dreams are shattered by the discovery that she has leprosy.

 

This story starts out as a nice little family story. You can just tell the bad news is right around the corner. I look forward to following Rachel's story.

Good grief, Suzanne, another story about a child separated from her family. I want to read this first part, but can't take another separation today. I'll save it for ... sometime. This is the third book along this line. Why? And what next?

It's sounds like it's going to be good.
I like the Hawaiian setting and the book's focus on Rachel having leprosy sounds really interesting.

I also like the setting.

This is more than a story about child separation. It is - hopefully - a story of one of the greatest medical breakthrough of our (well, my) time.
I've lived in the islands, been to Moloka'i, listened to people talk about saying good by to members of their families - forever.
And now, that is not needed. People live with this disease - live a normal life with it.
So I'm looking forward to this story.
Not because it is about separation but because it is about the history of people I know.

This is my first time here. So far I'm enjoying what I'm reading. Looking forward to the next installment.

This book sounds similar to -The Pearl Diver- which was in the pre-pub club a couple of weeks ago. The little girl is a lot younger in this book.

I read this book already and thought it was great. A long forgotten illness, that deeply changed people's lives. It was interesting to learn about the way it was. It does seem like The Pearl Diver, which is on my list to read too.

I am enjoying this book, it has a family that you can imagine and even though I know she will become a leper, it hasn't been as dreary as some of the other child seperation reads. Can't wait to read the rest of the book, I will be stalking the mailbox.

I just read all four from this week and I really like the story told in this book. I like historical fiction - it's the best way for me to learn history, it seems. I think the subject is interesting and the characters are well-drawn, also. Although I would not have thought that from the blurb on the book jacket. Foiled again! Also, I would have thought there'd be more of a response to this one. Doris?

The setting and characters have really pulled me in. Not only is the leprosy story historically intresting, but I'm also intrigued by the native Hawaiians' conversion to Christianity.

This is a definite read. I'll be reserving this book at the library when it's available.

I don't know if its me or what, but I just find, when reading a book about a different culture, that struggling through trying to pronounce foriegn words just slows down the read. Anyone have a trick to getting past difficult foriegn words?

just out of curiosity, do you read boks out loud?
whe reading silently, does it matter which way words are pronounced? it certainly has never slowed me down. heck, there are even some english words i can't pronounce (but then it is my second language)!!!

btw, i really liked this book. a real shame that the weekly reads finish just when it is getting interesting. ;) must be suzanne's speciality.

svea