Moloka'i (Alan Brennert)

Why I have this book: I've had it for years. It was a book club pick a long time ago, but this is the first time I've read it.

This is a novel set in the leper colony of Hawaii on the island of Moloka'i. I don't think most Amercians are really familiar with leprosy... it's not a disease that is common in the States in this day and age (thankfully), and until I saw a documentary on it a few years ago, I didn't even know it was still common in other countries.

I liked this book for the most part. I liked it a lot... for the most part. There were things that could have been left out of the story and it still would have invoked the same emotions for those who were the victims of this disease and all the social repercussions it brought.

In both this novel and the other I read by this author (Honolulu, reviewed a few posts ago), there is quite a bit of talk of sexuality. It's not graphic or vulgar... it's just treated as a natural urge that is a part of life. There is no morality attached to it, really... he doesn't seem to have an opinion one way or the other on religion. He writes about it in a detached way, I think. He also brings a character into the story who is transgender. I'm not sure why... he doesn't mention this character as a "real" person in the author notes, so it must just be a storyline he threw in there to make things interesting. It didn't bother me (she is actually a likable character), but I wonder what the point was.

Interestingly, he talks about "The Church of Latter Day Saints" on the island. He not only got the name wrong (should be "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints"), he also didn't do his research on how the ministry works. He called the congregation leader "pastor" and referred to a "deacon"... which was used more in the way a deacon would be used in a Protestant church. It's something that would be overlooked by any reader who isn't familiar with the LDS Church, but I found it curious that with all the research he did on other subjects, this fell through the cracks.

All in all, I'm glad I read it. It was informative, interesting, and emotionally compelling.

This book contains some bad language (including the Lord's name as an exclamation of emotion), non-graphic sexuality (although I now know the Hawaiian word for "boy parts"), some descriptions of the wounds caused by leprosy, and there is plenty of death for obvious reasons. There is also a transgender character.