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4.11 AVERAGE
4.11 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
3.5. Half of this was great but the other half I found dull. I think I had such high expectations because I loved Moloka’i SO MUCH. Perhaps because Moloka’i was character driven with a bit of fascinating history yet Daughter seemed history driven with not enough character development? I’m not sure.
Alan Brennert doesn't pull his punches when it comes to some of the more shameful aspects of history. In Moloka'i he explored the segregation of Hansen's Disease patients in Hawai'i, through the eyes of Rachel Kalama who was removed from her family and sent to the leper colony on Moloka'i at a young age. Now, in Daughter of Moloka'i, Brennert tells the story of Ruth, the daughter Rachel was forced to give up for adoption. And his unstinting gaze falls on the racism against Japanese immigrants and the Japanese internment camps of WWII.
As always, Brennert's gaze falls beyond the immediate drama to give us the full and rich sweep of a life. Ruth's life is fully imagined, from her time in an orphanage and her dreams of finding a family to her happiness with her adopted parents and brothers to the hardships they faced as farmers in rural California to their internment and beyond. Once Rachel is re-introduced into the narrative, it is fascinating to watch Brennert tell the same story, even many of the exact same scenes, but told from Ruth's perspective. Reading the books back-to-back turns them into a wonderfully faceted multi-generational story that is a pleasure to read.
As always, Brennert's gaze falls beyond the immediate drama to give us the full and rich sweep of a life. Ruth's life is fully imagined, from her time in an orphanage and her dreams of finding a family to her happiness with her adopted parents and brothers to the hardships they faced as farmers in rural California to their internment and beyond. Once Rachel is re-introduced into the narrative, it is fascinating to watch Brennert tell the same story, even many of the exact same scenes, but told from Ruth's perspective. Reading the books back-to-back turns them into a wonderfully faceted multi-generational story that is a pleasure to read.
Great sequel to Molokai. Read them both back to back. I will miss this family!
3.5 rounded up. This is nowhere, for me at least, on the same level as Moloka'i (book #1) but it still tells a good and worthy story.
The historical information on Japanese Americans during WWII was engrossing as Alan Brennert always does great research - this time he pulled out some lesser know tragedies and wove them in. I found myself googling some to see if there were any updates.
But I was very disappointed in his character development such as Ruth, written as a child, was just not convincing at all! I am going to shift some of the blame on the audiobook narrator also - don't quite think she was effectively the best for this story and its characters. Can't put my finger on it but she did not nail it.
A lot of the characters could have been given more "personality" in my opinion. I just can't put my finger on it but they just were slightly sagging - tho I was invested in all their lives and outcomes.
Rachel, oh Rachel, I missed you and I was so happy you came back!!
The historical information on Japanese Americans during WWII was engrossing as Alan Brennert always does great research - this time he pulled out some lesser know tragedies and wove them in. I found myself googling some to see if there were any updates.
But I was very disappointed in his character development such as Ruth, written as a child, was just not convincing at all! I am going to shift some of the blame on the audiobook narrator also - don't quite think she was effectively the best for this story and its characters. Can't put my finger on it but she did not nail it.
A lot of the characters could have been given more "personality" in my opinion. I just can't put my finger on it but they just were slightly sagging - tho I was invested in all their lives and outcomes.
Rachel, oh Rachel, I missed you and I was so happy you came back!!
I straight up ugly cried on a plane a few years ago when I read the first book in this series, Moloka'i. So when I saw the advanced reader's copy for this upcoming book, I couldn't wait to get my hands on a copy. I dove into this book looking for the same emotions I found in the last book I read from him. While at first the novel felt more distant, I was not disappointed for long.
Daughter of Moloka'i follows Ruth, the daughter of the two main characters from Moloka'i, as she makes her way in the world. She is Japanese American, so her story unfolds in new ways lending new depth that makes this sequel stand out. She is caught up in the war and travels to a Japanese internment camp during WWII with her family, where she and her family learn a new way of life. This book focuses on the family as a whole, which was an interesting perspective for me. Each member has their own motivations and desires, so reading this book felt like a very wholesome perspective.
Ruth and her family face hardships I can only imagine, but deeply empathize with. She handles things with grace, in the best way she knows how. Brennert's story is truly about family, about how we treat each other, mistakes we've made, and ways we support each other. There's a lot to learn in these pages. I love a good family drama, so this story felt cozy and educative for me. However, the pacing of this book felt slow and a bit more distant in writing style than I remember when reading Moloka'i, although that may be due more to the timing of me reading this book in relation to all the other books I'm reading. I've been searching for faster paced more emotional reads to keep me going as I'm settling into winter season.
Overall, I would recommend this book as a follow up read to Moloka'i, as there are a whole new set of characters and historical issues to uncover and explore.
I received a copy of this book via the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Daughter of Moloka'i follows Ruth, the daughter of the two main characters from Moloka'i, as she makes her way in the world. She is Japanese American, so her story unfolds in new ways lending new depth that makes this sequel stand out. She is caught up in the war and travels to a Japanese internment camp during WWII with her family, where she and her family learn a new way of life. This book focuses on the family as a whole, which was an interesting perspective for me. Each member has their own motivations and desires, so reading this book felt like a very wholesome perspective.
Ruth and her family face hardships I can only imagine, but deeply empathize with. She handles things with grace, in the best way she knows how. Brennert's story is truly about family, about how we treat each other, mistakes we've made, and ways we support each other. There's a lot to learn in these pages. I love a good family drama, so this story felt cozy and educative for me. However, the pacing of this book felt slow and a bit more distant in writing style than I remember when reading Moloka'i, although that may be due more to the timing of me reading this book in relation to all the other books I'm reading. I've been searching for faster paced more emotional reads to keep me going as I'm settling into winter season.
Overall, I would recommend this book as a follow up read to Moloka'i, as there are a whole new set of characters and historical issues to uncover and explore.
I received a copy of this book via the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Sequels of well loved books always have big shoes to fill. There’s always some trepidation going into it as a reader because the bar has been set so high with the first book. I was delighted to get my hands on a copy of the much anticipated sequel Daughter of Moloka’i and I was ecstatic that not only did it live up to my expectations, it exceeded them. Not only that but dare I say- book two may be my favorite.
🌺🌺🌺
Daughter of Moloka’i is the story of Ruth. Removed from her leprous parents at birth, the story starts with her arrival at the orphanage. The reader follows her years at the orphanage, her entry into her adopted family, growing up, and her eventual reconciliation with her birth mother.
🌺🌺🌺
This emotional tale is powerful and will stay with the reader long after the final page. Rich in history and scenic details, this is a fantastic book and firmly wedged its place in my top 10 favorite books of all time. Both Moloka’i and Daughter of Moloka’i are emotionally charged and solid 5 star reads for me. This sequel for me gets all of the stars. Thank you @stmartinspress for this advance reader in exchange for my honest review.
🌺🌺🌺
Daughter of Moloka’i is the story of Ruth. Removed from her leprous parents at birth, the story starts with her arrival at the orphanage. The reader follows her years at the orphanage, her entry into her adopted family, growing up, and her eventual reconciliation with her birth mother.
🌺🌺🌺
This emotional tale is powerful and will stay with the reader long after the final page. Rich in history and scenic details, this is a fantastic book and firmly wedged its place in my top 10 favorite books of all time. Both Moloka’i and Daughter of Moloka’i are emotionally charged and solid 5 star reads for me. This sequel for me gets all of the stars. Thank you @stmartinspress for this advance reader in exchange for my honest review.
I was so very excited to see that Alan Brennert wrote a second book about Moloka'i.
This book could easily be read as a stand-alone, however, I think it really enhances it by reading Moloka'i first. Daughter of Moloka'i is not about the the leprosy colony of Moloka'i. It is about a daughter that is born to lepers in the colony. The daughter's name is Ruth. Ruth is adopted to a Japanese-American family and then moved to California. The move to California coincides with WWII. This book is predominately about Ruth and her family in the relocation camps after Pearl Harbor.
I really enjoy Brennert's descriptive writing. His descriptions of Hawaii and California are beautiful. The time frame of this book is from the 1930's until the 1960's. There is so much that happens in that time frame, that there were times where the story felt rushed. I could have read about the relocation camps in more detail. (Now, I am going to go find more books about them)
I am so glad that Brennert did write this follow up book. Not quite as good as the first, but still worth reading.
This book could easily be read as a stand-alone, however, I think it really enhances it by reading Moloka'i first. Daughter of Moloka'i is not about the the leprosy colony of Moloka'i. It is about a daughter that is born to lepers in the colony. The daughter's name is Ruth. Ruth is adopted to a Japanese-American family and then moved to California. The move to California coincides with WWII. This book is predominately about Ruth and her family in the relocation camps after Pearl Harbor.
I really enjoy Brennert's descriptive writing. His descriptions of Hawaii and California are beautiful. The time frame of this book is from the 1930's until the 1960's. There is so much that happens in that time frame, that there were times where the story felt rushed. I could have read about the relocation camps in more detail. (Now, I am going to go find more books about them)
I am so glad that Brennert did write this follow up book. Not quite as good as the first, but still worth reading.
I think this is the first time I’ve ever enjoyed a sequel better than the first book. The relationships between daughter and mothers in this story just gave me all the feels. Get your tissues ready but it is well worth the cry.