A wonderful and insightful book. Truly an excellent read. Having lived in the islands, and always fascinated by Moloka'i I have found the descriptions of places right on and the story of Rachel heartrending.

Just one comment- while Mr. Brennert did a great job researching …more the leper colony he did slip up on his research into the flora and fauna of Hawai'i (and I found it disappointing that a man who describes himself as being "at home" in the islands would make such a mistake). While Rachel is in the hospital at Kalihi he describes a night where she and her roommate slip out to go swimming. I am referring to his description of a summer evening "the air as thick with mosquitoes as with humidity," there are no mosquitoes in Hawai'i. Minor detail but sometimes minor mistakes make one question other facts and, for a kamaaina, this is really not just a little slip. (less)