Moloka'i by Alan Brennert

From Goodreads:
This richly imagined novel, set in Hawai'i more than a century ago, is an extraordinary epic of a little-known time and place---and a deeply moving testament to the resiliency of the human spirit.

Rachel Kalama, a spirited seven-year-old Hawaiian girl, dreams of visiting far-off lands like her father, a merchant seaman. Then one day a rose-colored mark appears on her skin, and those dreams are stolen from her. Taken from her home and family, Rachel is sent to Kalaupapa, the quarantined leprosy settlement on the island of Moloka'i. Here her life is supposed to end---but instead she discovers it is only just beginning.

With a vibrant cast of vividly realized characters, Moloka'i is the true-to-life chronicle of a people who embraced life in the face of death. Such is the warmth, humor, and compassion of this novel that "few readers will remain unchanged by Rachel's story" (mostlyfiction.com).

My Review:
This story was rich with history and culture. It is a work of fiction based largely on facts. I didn't realize that the book would be educational as well as entertaining. The characters are so well developed and vibrant that they felt like old friends by the end of the book. Rachel's story is both heartwarming and heartbreaking, a little bit heavy on the heartbreak but the book did not have a depressing feel to it. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me angry at the ignorance of people and it made me happy at the good in people. The pace of the storytelling was perfect and I seemed to coast through the pages. I was actually a little sad to have reached the end of Rachel's story.

I really enjoyed this author's writing style and will be checking out his other work. As an added bonus, I think the cover art is gorgeous. 

My Rating: 5/5 stars