From the Bookshelf of WACKY READING CHALLENGES…
Find A Copy At
Group Discussions About This Book
No group discussions for this book yet.
What Members Thought
In 1893, seven year old Rachel Kalama is enjoying life with her parents and three siblings. One day, her mother notices a rash on her leg and her life changes instantly. When the rash doesn't go away, her mother dresses her up in long skirts and shoes. A fight with her sister at school reveals the secret they have been trying to hide. Rachel has leprosy. Because Hawaiians were particularly susceptible to the disease, the government took drastic steps to contain it. Those infected were isolated f
...more
Wow, this book really took me through it. I mean everything that Rachel went through in her life was gut wrenching but she left me so hopeful because she was such a strong woman and in the end her life was rich with the people, experiences, and loves that she got to experience. And I was so happy that she was able to do and see all of things that she did.
But, man someone should have told me to have the tissues ready for the end there, because I was sobbing like an idiot!
This is definitely not th ...more
But, man someone should have told me to have the tissues ready for the end there, because I was sobbing like an idiot!
This is definitely not th ...more
Jan 28, 2009
Book Concierge
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
19th-century,
medicine,
historical-fiction,
own,
survival,
nature,
library,
concierge,
strong-women
Wonderful historical fiction about the Kalupapa leper settlement. I had read Tayman's "The Colony" last year and I could tell that Brennert really did his research for this novel.
...more
This was a great book. I enjoyed it even more than I thought. It was about a young Hawaiian girl at the end of the 19th century, who tested positive for leprosy (now known as Hansen's Disease). Now just from this , one may think it would be downright depressing and boring But it was very much the opposite. It talked a lot about Hawaiian culture, including Hawaiian mythology and how Rachel and the other inhabitants of Molokai'i, where leprosy patients were sent to live in exile, formed their own
...more
Jan 01, 2013
Elle
marked it as to-read
Jun 22, 2013
Jenny Gudgen Spradlin
marked it as to-read
Mar 31, 2015
Cecilia
marked it as to-read
Jan 22, 2016
Chrystal
marked it as to-read
May 19, 2017
Celeste
marked it as to-read
Apr 23, 2020
Flying Snow
marked it as to-read
Oct 04, 2020
Aliza Glatter
marked it as to-read
Dec 25, 2020
Chelsey
marked it as to-read
Oct 06, 2021
Reed
marked it as to-read
Dec 23, 2021
Tiffany
marked it as to-read
Mar 14, 2022
Char
marked it as to-read
Apr 25, 2025
Janet Wagner
marked it as to-read
