Molokai

For many years, I have shelved and pulled for hold requests the book Moloka’i by Alan Brennert. I often thought about reading it, but then other titles would come up that I was excited about and it was always put on the back burner. With its sequel just released, Daughter of Moloka’i, my interest was again piqued and I checked it out. Perfect timing, as it turns out - I was able to read it during New Jersey’s stay-at-home order.

In 1999, I visited Hawaii for the second time. I went to the islands of Hawaii, Kauai, and Molokai. I did a lot of hiking (about 50 miles worth) and saw a lot of sights. One of the best parts of the trip, however, was touring Kalaupapa Peninsula on Molokai – where Hawaii had sent people who were diagnosed with leprosy, now referred to as Hansen’s disease. Between 1866 and 1969, about 8,000 people had been taken to live there. Little was known of the causes of leprosy and it was believed to be highly contagious. There was no cure. The stigma of having leprosy or even being in the family of someone who had been diagnosed, was intense. Often, it was easier to move or change one’s name so as not to be associated with the disease.

The novel Moloka’i describes the life of Rachel Kalama, a seven-year-old Hawaiian girl who is diagnosed with leprosy and sent to Kalaupapa. We are with Rachel from her childhood to her death and learn about a child, patient, woman who was taken away from everything and everyone she loved and how she – and many others – adapted to still enjoy their lives.

Kalaupapa was a good spot to choose for isolation; remote, bounded by a very high cliff on one side and the ocean on the other. When I visited, I hiked down the cliff on the trail previously used by mules bringing the mail and supplies to the colony. In my notes, I wrote “6.25 miles total” – there are a lot of switchbacks! More on the way back up than down, somehow… Because of the height and length of the trail, I had ample time to think about what the cliff meant to the people living on the peninsula. A constant reminder of how far away they were from their families and how removed from the rest of civilization. In 2018, there was a landslide which has closed the trail. The only access now to the peninsula is via airplane – underscoring again its isolation even in modern times.

The experience was very moving. I learned about Hansen’s disease, the reasons behind the decision to create the colony, Father Damien (a Catholic priest who worked with the patients to improve living conditions in the colony), and what everyday life was like. When the colony was first created, conditions were terrible. It was through a lot of years and work that life became better for the patients. Even after a cure was found for Hansen’s disease, in 1999 there were still patients who lived on Kalaupapa instead of trying a join a world they had not been a part of for most of their lives. Experiencing the place and hearing its history firsthand made Brennert’s story of Rachel particularly meaningful to me. Reading about her fictional life clarified the real patients’ lives.

Although you can read Moloka’i on its own as historical fiction, I found knowing more about Hansen’s disease and Kalaupapa was beneficial. Here are some websites to get you started:

Kaluapapa is a National Historical Park – the National Park Service’s site gives a great overview of the history, people and nature of the peninsula. This is really your one-stop-shop for information.

The Centers for Disease Control gives an easy-to-understand description of Hansen’s disease

For more detailed information about Hansen’s disease and its history in the United States, visit the National Hansen’s Disease Program site. Of particular interest is the story of the National Leprosarium at Carville, Louisiana. Contrast and compare the patients’ lives there with Kaluapapa.

Unfortunately, you aren’t able to visit the library at this time to check out a copy of the book. Both the original, Maloka’i and the sequel, Daughter of Moloka’i are available through eLibraryNJ for free – just use your Mercer County Library System library card number to sign into the service to find it and thousands of other eBook and audiobook titles.

- by Andrea, Hopewell Branch