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Moloka'i
BRENNERT, Alan. Moloka'i. New York: St. Martin's Griffin, 2003. 389 pp. ISBN 0-312-30435-8 (pbk) $13.95
Moloka'i, a captivating historical novel centered around fictional character Rachel Kalama's experience with Hansen's disease (commonly known as leprosy) sheds light on the disease itself and on Molakai's Kalaupapa community --once home to hundreds of Hawaiian exiles and to Damien de Veuster (Father Damien) -- while offering an educational account of Hawaiian history spanning nearly eighty years during a time of tremendous change. The book begins in the late 1800's, shortly after the death of Father Damien -- a Roman Catholic priest who is to become a saint in late 2009 for his commitment to leprosy victims on Moloka'i. (He died of the disease himself at the age of 49.) Rachel, age seven, is forcibly taken away from her family and sent to the island of Moloka'i where she is placed in a home run by Christian missionaries with other girls suffering from the disease. After some initial resistance, Rachel takes on the girls and nuns at the home as her family and they experience growth, love, and loss together.
Rachel has one biological family member on the island, her Uncle Pono, also a victim of the disease, and through him she comes to know her "adopted auntie" Haleola who teaches her about Hawaiian spiritual ways which leads her to reflect on the clash between traditional and Christian belief systems. On Moloka'i, Rachel experiences the bombing of Pearl Harbor and Oahu, Hawaiian statehood, and she comes face-to-face with discrimination toward Japanese Americans, after she marries a Hawaiian of Japanese descent. Despite the novel's heartbreaking main theme, the story is an uplifting one and Rachel Kalama is a strong character who the reader easily forms a bond with.
Although author Alan Brennert did not grow up in Hawaii and does not hold degrees in Hawaiian history, language, or cultural studies -- (he has a BA in English and did graduate work in screenwriting), he demonstrates a passion for the state that shines through. Mr. Brennert has written mostly teleplays, screenplays, and stage material and is most well-known for his work as a writer-producer for the television series L.A. Law. He has also written novels and short stories but Moloka'i was his first historical novel, followed by Honolulu -- a story about a Korean picture bride in the early 1900's -- released in 2009. Moloka'i appears to be exceptionally well-researched, even including the use of primary source material dating back to 1866. Hawaiian vocabulary scattered throughout is enriching but readers who are unfamiliar with popular Hawaiian phrases may find it troublesome despite efforts to provide clues. A glossary could have been included to eliminate any misunderstandings.
The book's New York publisher and limited reviews from Hawaiian reviewers leave the reader wondering about the Hawaiian perspective on accuracy and cultural sensitivities, but an interview with Mr. Brennert at the end of the novel is reassuring that he carefully considered these issues. In addition to shedding light on an important subject and providing an account of Hawaiian history, the emotive novel does not waver in holding the readers' interest throughout its almost 400 pages.
Moloka'i, a captivating historical novel centered around fictional character Rachel Kalama's experience with Hansen's disease (commonly known as leprosy) sheds light on the disease itself and on Molakai's Kalaupapa community --once home to hundreds of Hawaiian exiles and to Damien de Veuster (Father Damien) -- while offering an educational account of Hawaiian history spanning nearly eighty years during a time of tremendous change. The book begins in the late 1800's, shortly after the death of Father Damien -- a Roman Catholic priest who is to become a saint in late 2009 for his commitment to leprosy victims on Moloka'i. (He died of the disease himself at the age of 49.) Rachel, age seven, is forcibly taken away from her family and sent to the island of Moloka'i where she is placed in a home run by Christian missionaries with other girls suffering from the disease. After some initial resistance, Rachel takes on the girls and nuns at the home as her family and they experience growth, love, and loss together.
Rachel has one biological family member on the island, her Uncle Pono, also a victim of the disease, and through him she comes to know her "adopted auntie" Haleola who teaches her about Hawaiian spiritual ways which leads her to reflect on the clash between traditional and Christian belief systems. On Moloka'i, Rachel experiences the bombing of Pearl Harbor and Oahu, Hawaiian statehood, and she comes face-to-face with discrimination toward Japanese Americans, after she marries a Hawaiian of Japanese descent. Despite the novel's heartbreaking main theme, the story is an uplifting one and Rachel Kalama is a strong character who the reader easily forms a bond with.
Although author Alan Brennert did not grow up in Hawaii and does not hold degrees in Hawaiian history, language, or cultural studies -- (he has a BA in English and did graduate work in screenwriting), he demonstrates a passion for the state that shines through. Mr. Brennert has written mostly teleplays, screenplays, and stage material and is most well-known for his work as a writer-producer for the television series L.A. Law. He has also written novels and short stories but Moloka'i was his first historical novel, followed by Honolulu -- a story about a Korean picture bride in the early 1900's -- released in 2009. Moloka'i appears to be exceptionally well-researched, even including the use of primary source material dating back to 1866. Hawaiian vocabulary scattered throughout is enriching but readers who are unfamiliar with popular Hawaiian phrases may find it troublesome despite efforts to provide clues. A glossary could have been included to eliminate any misunderstandings.
The book's New York publisher and limited reviews from Hawaiian reviewers leave the reader wondering about the Hawaiian perspective on accuracy and cultural sensitivities, but an interview with Mr. Brennert at the end of the novel is reassuring that he carefully considered these issues. In addition to shedding light on an important subject and providing an account of Hawaiian history, the emotive novel does not waver in holding the readers' interest throughout its almost 400 pages.
Submitted by C. Callender, LIS student, Fall 2009
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