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A review by kairosdreaming
Daughter of Moloka'i by Alan Brennert
5.0
This review is part of the Amazon Vine Program.
I absolutely loved the first book by Brennert, Moloka'i. It made me cry, it taught me a history I didn't know, and was deeply engrossing. So it was with trepidation that I started reading this sequel. In my opinion, it's a rare sequel that's as good as the original. This one pleasantly surprised me.
Daughter of Moloka'i could almost be read as a stand-alone. I say almost, because I believe the story of Rachel in the original is important and provides some background to this book. But you could probably read without it. Daughter of Moloka'i is of course about the daughter of Rachel, the protagonist in the first book. Because of the rules of the colony at Moloka'i, Ruth, the daughter, is sent to an orphanage on a different island at a year old. Here she waits until she is finally adopted by a Japanese couple with three sons, but no daughters. This shapes her life as she grows with them and is ultimately part of the internment camps established by the government during WWII.
Is Ruth as likable as her mother as a protagonist? I would say largely, she's a little harsher, a little angrier. But her story is one that resonates with you and arouses sympathy. And her story also introduces you to a part of history, that while it's starting to be taught more, is still a surprise for most Americans to learn. That we had internment camps, and that they weren't as good as the government would have led you to believe, will come as a surprise for some people. The injustice that was met out in them is well described here and even with reparations, cannot truly be forgiven.
I found this book a little more rushed than the first. I would have liked to have a more leisurely stroll through Ruth's childhood. The time spent on the descriptions of the camps, and of the later years with the introduction of Rachel was thorough though and I appreciated the detail there. Is it as good as Moloka'i? That one will still rank much higher for me, but this one is good on its own merit.
I definitely recommend both the first book and this one. It introduces you to a part of history that is not adequately taught and for that alone it is well worth reading.
Review by M. Reynard 2019
I absolutely loved the first book by Brennert, Moloka'i. It made me cry, it taught me a history I didn't know, and was deeply engrossing. So it was with trepidation that I started reading this sequel. In my opinion, it's a rare sequel that's as good as the original. This one pleasantly surprised me.
Daughter of Moloka'i could almost be read as a stand-alone. I say almost, because I believe the story of Rachel in the original is important and provides some background to this book. But you could probably read without it. Daughter of Moloka'i is of course about the daughter of Rachel, the protagonist in the first book. Because of the rules of the colony at Moloka'i, Ruth, the daughter, is sent to an orphanage on a different island at a year old. Here she waits until she is finally adopted by a Japanese couple with three sons, but no daughters. This shapes her life as she grows with them and is ultimately part of the internment camps established by the government during WWII.
Is Ruth as likable as her mother as a protagonist? I would say largely, she's a little harsher, a little angrier. But her story is one that resonates with you and arouses sympathy. And her story also introduces you to a part of history, that while it's starting to be taught more, is still a surprise for most Americans to learn. That we had internment camps, and that they weren't as good as the government would have led you to believe, will come as a surprise for some people. The injustice that was met out in them is well described here and even with reparations, cannot truly be forgiven.
I found this book a little more rushed than the first. I would have liked to have a more leisurely stroll through Ruth's childhood. The time spent on the descriptions of the camps, and of the later years with the introduction of Rachel was thorough though and I appreciated the detail there. Is it as good as Moloka'i? That one will still rank much higher for me, but this one is good on its own merit.
I definitely recommend both the first book and this one. It introduces you to a part of history that is not adequately taught and for that alone it is well worth reading.
Review by M. Reynard 2019