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Alan Brennert

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Born

Englewood, The United States

Website

http://www.alanbrennert.com/

Genre

Fiction

Influences

Victor Hugo, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ray Bradbury, Jonathan Strong, John ...more

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January 2010

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Alan Brennert is the author of the historical novels Palisades Park, Honolulu (chosen one of the best books of 2009 by The Washington Post), and Moloka'i, which won the 2006 Bookies Award, sponsored by the Contra Costa Library, for the Book Club Book of the Year (and has sold over 600,000 copies since publication). It was also a 2012 One Book, One San Diego selection. He has won an Emmy Award and a People's Choice Award for his work as a writer-producer on the television series L.A. Law, and his short story "Ma Qui" was honored with a Nebula Award. His new novel, Daughter of Moloka'i, will be published by St. Martin's Press on February 19, 2019. Follow him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/alan.brennert.

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The way you captured Hawaii-based characters was so real. Did you spend much time on O'ahu and Moloka'i? Do you have family connections to any of the residents of Kalaupapa? Will we see any other Hawaii-based books in the near future?

Alan Brennert No family connection, but I fell in love with Hawai'i on my first visit in 1980 and developed a passionate interest in its history, its people, its…moreNo family connection, but I fell in love with Hawai'i on my first visit in 1980 and developed a passionate interest in its history, its people, its culture and mythology. I've spent considerable time on O'ahu doing research at the State Archives, the Public Library, the Bishop Museum, et al, and have also made several trips to Moloka'i, a lovely island that's unique even for Hawai'i. And yes, I do have another novel I'm researching that will be set (at least partially) in the islands. Thanks for the question.(less)

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When you researched Moloka'i were you able to meet with any residents or their decedents of Kalaupapa? If so did it change the story for you as you initially imagined it?

Alan Brennert I visited Kalaupapa as part of the official tour, which is very closely escorted and is designed, rightly, to protect the privacy of the residents; I…moreI visited Kalaupapa as part of the official tour, which is very closely escorted and is designed, rightly, to protect the privacy of the residents; I met one or two people in passing, but there was no opportunity for a long exchange. Later I contacted the authorities at Kalaupapa about returning for a visit on my own, but I was told that any visitor outside the tour had to have a sponsor who could escort him/her, and they didn't have anyone to sponsor me. So I had to make do with what was in the public record. This turned out to be quite a lot: aside from fine biographies like Mel White's MARGARET OF MOLOKAI and Olivia Breitha's OLIVIA: MY LIFE OF EXILE IN KALAUPAPA, I read dozens of oral histories of patients as well as every file about the settlement in the Hawai'i State Archives. The latter went all the way back to 1866, and included letters sent by some of the very first exiles sent to (at that time) Kalawao. The archives held letters, journals, logs of incoming patients--a staggering amount of information that in toto presented a vivid picture of the history of the settlement. What I found in my research did inevitably change the story from my original conception, but always for the better; if a fact or incident surprised me, I figured it would surprise readers too, and I wove it into the story. But my biggest takeaway from the research were the people themselves, some of whom, like Ambrose Hutchison, became characters in the story...and some inspired fictional characters (there is more than a little of the amazing Margaret Kapuni in my protagonist Rachel). And even though I didn't get that personal visit to Kalaupapa, I'm moved and humbled to be told that today, in the Kalaupapa museum and gift shop, there's a big stack of MOLOKA'I for sale...the best kind of validation I can imagine.(less)

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Alan Brennert’s books

Average rating: 4.1 · 112,831 ratings · 11,388 reviews · 45 distinct works • Similar authors

	Moloka'i 4.15 avg rating — 86,418 ratings — published 2003 — 22 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Honolulu 4.03 avg rating — 18,249 ratings — published 2009 — 15 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Palisades Park 3.72 avg rating — 5,056 ratings — published 2013 — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Batman: Holy Terror by Alan Brennert (Goodreads Author), Norm Breyfogle (Illustrator) 3.48 avg rating — 438 ratings — published 1991 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Time and Chance 3.63 avg rating — 243 ratings — published 1990 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Kindred Spirits 3.34 avg rating — 38 ratings — published 1984 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Tales of the Batman: Alan Brennert by Alan Brennert (Goodreads Author), Jim Aparo (Illustrations) 4.27 avg rating — 33 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Her Pilgrim Soul 4.04 avg rating — 27 ratings — published 1990 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Hawaii Novels: Moloka'i and Honolulu 4.61 avg rating — 18 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Spécial Marion Zimmer Bradley (Faeries #9) by Alan Brennert (Goodreads Author) (Contributor), Delia Sherman (Goodreads Author) (Contributor) , Lucie Chenu (Contributor) 3.67 avg rating — 6 ratings — published 2002	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Daughter of Moloka'i

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Alan Brennert is currently reading Daughter of Moloka'i by Alan Brennert (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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Alan Brennert and 1 other person liked Natalie's review of Honolulu: "One of my all-time favorite books. Transformed me to old days in Honolulu. This story is written so vividly I feel like I grew to knew the main character. A captivating book that I couldn't put down (and I don't even like to read all that much!)...."
Nov 03, 2017 09:30AM · see review
Alan Brennert made a comment on his review of Moloka'i " Mahalo for reading, Aurora! "
Aug 20, 2015 10:14AM · see review
Alan Brennert and 1 other person liked Erin's review of Palisades Park: "www.quixoticmagpie.blogspot.com I love an amusement park, all of them and any of them. I even love fairs and festivals and those local fly by night carnivals. Midways, games of chance, rides, French fries, the squeals of excitement, fear, and laugh..." Read more of this review »
May 07, 2014 07:56PM · see review
Alan Brennert and 1 other person liked Kathy 's review of Palisades Park: "Nobody does historical fiction with the setting as a character better than Alan Brennert. I'm not discounting that there may be some equal to the task, but none are more masterful at taking a place, creating fascinating characters with life-long t..." Read more of this review »
May 07, 2014 07:56PM · see review
Alan Brennert liked a quote “A personal journey is part of the generational relay. Live your legacy then pass it on.” Jo Ann V. Glim
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Alan Brennert has read Kindred Spirits by Alan Brennert (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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More of Alan's books…

Quotes by Alan Brennert

“Fear is good. In the right degree it prevents us from making fools of ourselves. But in the wrong measure it prevents us from fully living. Fear is our boon companion but never our master.”
― Alan Brennert, Moloka'i

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“Surrounded by darkness yet enfolded in light”
― Alan Brennert, Moloka'i

tags: darkness, darkness-and-light, light

40 likes

“I've come to believe that how we choose to live with pain, or injustice, or death....is the true measure of the Divine within us.”
― Alan Brennert, Moloka'i

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Polls

BoTM- September- Book Set on an Island- 1st poll

Top 5 books move onto the second round

Moloka'i

by Alan Brennert

16 votes, 23.5%

The Summer Girls

by Mary Alice Monroe

10 votes, 14.7%

Ember Island

by Kimberley Freeman

9 votes, 13.2%

Anne of Green Gables

by L.M. Montgomery

8 votes, 11.8%

And Then There Were None

by Agatha Christie

8 votes, 11.8%

An Untamed State

by Roxane Gay

5 votes, 7.4%

The Island

by Victoria Hislop

3 votes, 4.4%

The Shore

by Sara Taylor

3 votes, 4.4%

In the Land of the Long White Cloud

by Sarah Lark

3 votes, 4.4%

Getting Stoned with Savages: A Trip Through the Islands of Fiji and Vanuatu

by J. Maarten Troost

2 votes, 2.9%

Island of a Thousand Mirrors

by Nayomi Munaweera

1 vote, 1.5%

68 total votes

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“A personal journey is part of the generational relay. Live your legacy then pass it on.”
― Jo Ann V. Glim

tags: family-relationships, genealogy, legacy

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