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I read this because I recently read and adored the novel Moloka'i by Alan Brennert and wanted to learn more about Moloka’i by reading a non-fiction account. I nearly gave this book 5 stars (it’s a definite 4 ½ star book) because it does what it does so impressively. but the fact is I felt as though I got a better feeling of what leprosy was like and how people with the disease were treated from the novel, even though this book covers so much more ground. I was definitely fascinated by some of the historical events.

In this book, I was particularly interested in the years that corresponded to the years covered in Moloka'i. This is a chronological account of Hansen’s Disease and the Molokai colony but also covers Hansen’s Disease as it was treated at Carville medical facility and other locations too.

Reading this was heartbreaking and infuriating regarding what happened in this time and place, and so much of it was tragic and unnecessary. This non-fiction account was exceedingly well written in an interesting manner; at times it read like fiction; the real people and events are fascinating. There were so many people and incidents covered, so much history, and I enjoyed that, though I can see others wanting less or wanting it organized differently. But, it worked for me as it is.

I enjoyed the included photographs of different scenes of the colony settlement in different years and some of the mentioned people.

As I read I thought of AIDS, because it’s another disease people were so scared of that its sufferers were ostracized for a time. It turns out the account in this book actually goes up to the AIDS era and it is mentioned.

At the end of the book there is a lengthy bibliography. There are also extensive notes (I did read most though the book can be enjoyed and understood without them) and there is also a useful index. The book is divided into four parts, each with their own chapters that show the colony’s population at the time, and they tell a lot of what happened from 1789??? to about 2003 in chronological order.

Anyone interested in the history of Hansen’s Disease, the history of medicine, quarantining the ill, Hawaiian and U.S. history, and ill or isolated or ostracized people, are likely to find this book interesting. I have more “leprosy� books on my to-read shelf because I have been interested in this disease since I was nine years old. But, for readers who have time to read only one book and who can enjoy historical fiction novels, I’d recommened Moloka'i by Alan Brennert. If readers really want to read non-fiction history about the subject, this book seems to me to be a good choice.