Friday, June 22

  I just finished a great book this week. It's titled Molokai by Alan Brennert which is a fictional novel based on the leper colony on the Hawaiian island, Molokai.  The colony, Kalaupapa, actually existed on the island just 27 miles from  Oahu from the mid 1800's and was active until 1969. The health department arrested anyone who showed signs of leprosy and then sent them to the isolated colony on Moloka'i.  Some were as young as 4 years old. Much as in the biblical times, being a leper was shameful for both the individual and for the family. The disease is now called Hansen's Disease for the man who first identified a way to arrest the bacteria that caused the disfiguring damage to both nerves and skin.  Kalaupapa just recently became a National Historic Park and can be visited if you are willing to hike or ride a mule down the steep switchback trail the 3.2 miles to the bottom.  We have been contemplating whether we want to add this adventure to our itinerary when we go back to Hawaii.  Anyway, the book ranks right up there with Hunger Games. I would highly recommend it, very well written and an easy read.