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Content snapshot
Flag an inaccuracy →What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.
Violence
Barely any
No violence; the disease and its physical effects are depicted with honesty and compassion
Language
Barely any
Clean literary prose
Sexual Content
Barely any
Adult romantic relationships within the colony; understated
Substance Use
Barely any
None
Emotional Intensity
A lot
The sustained grief of separation and exile; the psychological adaptation required to build a life under impossible conditions; deeply moving throughout
What this book is about
Rachel Kalama, a Native Hawaiian girl, is diagnosed with leprosy in 1891 and sent to the isolated colony on Molokaʻi's Kalaupapa peninsula—a place few ever leave. Alan Brennert's historical novel follows Rachel's extraordinary life within the settlement across eight decades, finding love, community, and meaning in one of the most feared places in American history.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Leprosy and its physical effects depicted honestly
Deeply emotionally affecting—separation from family is the novel's lasting wound
Reader Verification
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