My most recently read book is Moloka’i by Alan Brennert.
What I loved about it:
This story is magical, as soon as you start reading you do not want to stop. In the beginning one would believe that it is going to tell the story of a little girl dealing with the imprisonment of acquiring leprosy. For sure it does, however, there is so much more, your imagination will run rampant as you continue your journey through the story. The beauty of the Hawaiian Islands and especially the island of Moloka’i as described through-out the story will in itself grab your attention. The story is about a little girl age seven who finds a rose colored mark on her body, is quickly told that she will be transferred to the island of Moloka’i and quarantined where her life will end. Instead she finds that her life there is just the beginning. It is the story of how people can make the best of a desperate situation when there is no other choice. How we learn to be strong, and in fact embrace the life we are granted. You will cheer, cry, and laugh as you read this wonderful story, and it keeps you wondering and wishing for Rachel until the end.
Why I would recommend it:
Brennert shows the reader how when having to face adversity we can conquer and move forward. He writes with such compassion for the characters in the story. The book will show you that no matter how hard life is one can gain a new family and a sense of community. In the end, Rachel discovered that strength, humour, and determination changed how she felt about suffering with the presence of the hated enemy leprosy.
I loved this book It took you through her journey and how she accepted and dealt with her life as it was within her ravaged body.
Janette Moller is the Partner Assisted Learning co-ordinator for Williams Lake area.