This is the sequel to Moloka'i. I really enjoyed the first book and am always hesitant to read sequels but I had high hopes for this book. It just didn't seem to have the same impact as the first book. It dragged a bit in the middle and was a bit more historically dense. The language was a little flat and it didn't pop like his previous book. It just didn't work for me like his first book did.

I enjoyed reading this book about a Hawaiian/ Japanese family. The journey of Ruth, an orphan at the beginning of the novel is adopted and then her journey begins. Ruth’s adopted father picked up family and moved them from Hawaii to California. This a mistake but there is no turning back . While in California the Japanese dropped a bomb on Hawaii. All Japanese (whether US citizens or not ) were put in internment camps. . What an interesting portrayal of the atrocities the Japanese endured. Once the family was released I felt that the novel should have ended. There were too many topics that the author was trying to weave into one novel..
I did learn quite a bit , however, about Japanese during World War Two. I also grew to care about the family and most importantly Ruth.

For readers who are not familiar with the Japanese interment in the US and the uprising, this will be a thoughtful sensitive piece. It is a sequel to Moloka'i which I highly recommend reading as it brings much richness to piercing together this novel.Written in a sympathetic tone, most of it focuses on the tragic rules by the US government to essentially "stockade" human beings in deplorable surroundings, ripped apart from their land and homes, and greeting the Japanese Americans with unbound hostility. One has to give the author credit for the high level of research that went into creating this historical fiction.The novel starts out with baby Ruth handed to a nun led orphanage, taken from her leper mother and then adopted by a warm and loving Japanese family. We follow Ruth as she matures through the years, her family tragedies in Manzanar, and a surprise letter that turns her world upside down. The love between mothers and daughters is told with a sweet tenderness and its theme is carried throughout the book. Admittedly, I enjoyed the book but it never pulled me in. Perhaps because I knew a great deal about the history, it did not captivate me as much as it might for others. However, those looking to learn more can benefit from engaging in Brennert's current novel.

My coworker loaned me their copy of Moloka'i about a month before I saw that Alan Brennert was releasing Daughter of Moloka'i. Apparently the stars aligned for me and Netgalley approved me for a copy of Daughter of Moloka'i. So my end of the year reading has primarily been based on the novel of these two women, Rachel and her daughter Ruth.

**HUGE DISCLAIMER**-Reading without having read Maloka'i would be doing yourself a huge disfavor. Maloka'i is a beautifully touching story that most readers won't soon forget.

Let's move on to the daughter...

Ruth was born to Rachel Kalama when she was quarantined on the island of Kalaupapa where people with leprosy essentially went to die. The infants are almost immediately removed from their parents care. These babies are closely monitored to see if they show signs of having the disease as well. The ones who survived past a year were sent to an orphanage. This orphanage is where we meet Ruth and her story begins.

Alan Brennert's Daughter of Maloka'i is just as moving as it's companion novel. We readers get to see her grow up and experience many losses, many gains, ups, downs, and all that comes with life. As I write this review I think about the many losses both women experienced and those losses were always because of someone else's fears and bias.

People feared leprosy, therefore Rachel was forced to leave her home at the young age of seven. People feared the Japanese, therefore Ruth's family lost almost all they worked so hard to build while they were forced into "Interment" camps during World War II. A huge part of me gets so mad at what fear and racism drive societies to do; to allow be done to other people. It's like some WALL of hate humans are incapable of overcoming and it happens generation after generation.

Luckily, there are novels like Alan Brennert's that prove to people like me there's always a reason for hope. After the world hands you shitty cards, hope keeps you "go fishing".

Anyway... My rant is over...

Alan Brennert's Daughter of Maloka'i is a well written story that one can easily become immersed in. The main characters are beautifully drawn and Ruth is such an interesting character, much like her mother Rachel.

But I do have a gripe... Just one small gripe...

It might be due to the fact that I read Maloka'i only a few weeks ago that the magic of it was still fresh in my mind. I felt more connected to the way that story unfolded than this one. Ruth's story felt very terse as if a followup was expected and the author did not have his heart in it completely. I may be the minority in having this opinion but... I remember feeling every sort of emotion there was possible with Maloka'i but this novel left me wanting. Sure this was a good read, hence my 4-star rating, but... there was something missing that I couldn't quite put my finger on.

Either way, Daughter of Maloka'i is a must-read for those who loved Maloka'i. After reading both novels, I realize there's so much more history that I need to research regarding the West Coast.

Copy Provided by St. Martin's Press via Netgalley

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins’s Press for the opportunity to read Daughter of Molokai by Alan Brennert. Molokai was one of my all time favorite reads and the first book I ever re-read. I read it right before reading Daughter of Molokai and thoroughly enjoyed it the second time. I did enjoy the sequel but not near as much as Molokai. The story goes into Rachel’s daughter Ruth whom she was forced to give up for adoption. The book was very well researched and I did learn a lot about the Japanese internment. It is shocking and horrific to read what America did to its citizens. I am not usually a fan of sequels because I feel like a lot of the first story is retold. All that being said I am happy I had the opportunity to read it and I would recommend it for fans of Molokai and fans of historical fiction, just don’t go in with expectations of it being as good as Molokai.

I cannot emphasize enough how much I LOVED this book. This story follows Ruth, a young girl who was given up by her mother, Rachel, and spans many years, from the time she arrives at the girls home, and all the way until adulthood. If you are a fan of historical fiction, you WILL NOT want to miss this. The writing was vivid and beautiful, heartbreaking and also enchanting. My heart became so invested in both of these characters and I was sad this book ever had to end!

Having loved his "Moloka'i, I had to read this sequel, Daughter of Moloka'i. Having waited many years for Alan Brennert to revisit these characters was absolutely worth the wait.
Daughter of Moloka'i is the story of Rachel's daughter. As a baby she was removed from the island and Rachel to have a "better life". We follow her through her life from baby to being a mother herself. It was very interesting to learn about the political climate of the times.
I loved this as much as I did Moloka'i. I would suggest reading both books and in order.

Thanks to netgalley for an ARC of this book!

I first read Moloka’i in 2010, for a library book discussion group, and I was blown away. Who ever thought that a book about a leper colony would be so compelling? I then read Brennert’s subsequent books, and enjoyed each of them thoroughly.

Needless to say, when I saw that this book was now available through netgalley, I immediately snatched it up. I did decide to re-read Moloka’i, partly because I wanted to refresh my memory of the book, and partly because I enjoyed it so much the first time. And it was just as good the second time around!

Daughter of Moloka’i did not let me down. Once again, Brennert gives us well developed characters, and I found that I really cared what happened to them. They’re very human, not perfect, but the main characters are good people. Since this book involves the treatment of people of Japanese descent during World War II, there are certainly people who are not so good, and events that made me cringe – but there is definitely an overall triumph of decency. I like that.

The story line is compelling – I had trouble putting this book down.

It’s not really necessary to read Moloka’i to understand and enjoy this, but I think that it gives a bit more context – and why deprive yourself of the pleasure?

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced e-copy of this book. I really enjoyed Moloka’i and do want to say this book can be read as a standalone but I highly recommend reading Moloka’i first and then reading this book. I was worried because I’d read the first book several years ago, but some of my memories came back, and the author did a great job of giving background of what had happened in the earlier book. It’s not a long book but so much is covered in a long timeline, including many people, relationships, and also the animals play an important role too. This was a wonderful story and I really enjoyed the next steps in Rachel and Ruth's life.

Usually, I'm not a fan of sequels because they're so often disappointments compared to the first book. That being said, I can happily say that this is one of the very few sequels I find to be just as good as the original. The same things I loved about Moloka'i are present in Daughter of Moloka'i: the characters and their growth, the development of relationships (the relationship between Ruth, Etsuko, and Rachel is probably my favorite one in the entire book), the detailed research that went into making the history of this historical fiction come to life...all of it. Reading this novel was like coming home after having been away for a while. There are some changes that have happened in your absence, but they're natural changes that only add to that feeling of home.

Before I wrap up this review, I'm not too proud to admit that I wept throughout the last 10% of the book. It takes a lot to make me cry over a book, but I lost it. Such a beautiful novel inside and out, and I so hope that it gets all the love and praise it deserves.

Daughter of Moloka’i is a lovely written novel by Alan Brennert and is the companion book to Moloka’i. Although I did not read the first book, I was able to jump right into this book. I do plan to go back and read the first book.
This book is a sweeping historical fiction that follows the life of Ruth Utagawa. She was born in 1917 on the leper colony, Kalaupapa, on the island of Moloka’i and is taken from her parents and brought to Kapi’olani orphanage on Honolulu, where she lives until a Japanese couple adopts her. The family then moves to California and life becomes difficult for Ruth’s family. I enjoyed the twists and turned that Ruth’s life takes and how the author interweaves history throughout the book. Mr. Brennert does an outstanding job with character development. I especially loved the relationship that develops between Ruth and her adoptive parents, Etsuko, Taizo and their three sons, and later in the book the relationship she develops with her birth mother. 
 This book was very well researched. I enjoyed the in-depth description of Hawaiian and Japanese culture. Mr. Brennert majestically captures the raw beauty of Hawaii in his storytelling, to where I could feel the warm trade winds like I was in Hawaii. Also, he almost entirely, in my opinion, delves into a dark period of American history where Japanese Americans were placed in internment camps during WWII. There was one small problem that I had, and that was the comparison between what Japanese Americans experienced and what the Jews experienced at the hands of the Nazis.
Overall this was an exceptional book, and I was delighted to have the opportunity to read it. I would recommend this book if you enjoy reading about one women’s struggles and the joy she discovers in spite of them — happy Reading.
***I kindly received an ARC of this book by way of NetGalley/publisher/author. I was not contacted, asked or required to leave a review. I received no compensation, financial or otherwise. I have voluntarily read this book, and this review my honest opinion .***

Hawaii, California, adoption, Japanese immigrant culture, World War II, Japanese interment, wow! This sweeping novel manages to cover all of those themes.

This is a sequel to Moloka’i, but stands alone very well.

Brennert does a great job with his characters as well as a fast moving plot. I grew so fond of Ruth and her family members and feel a bit sad to have finished this immersive novel!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read an ARC.

What a beautiful book! Complex, strong female characters and a heart-wrenching story, paired with lush landscape descriptions so vivid I felt transported.

"DAUGHTER OF MOLOKA′I tells the story of Ruth, the daughter that Rachel Kalama—quarantined for most of her life at the isolated leprosy settlement of Kalaupapa—was forced to give up at birth.

The book follows young Ruth from her arrival at the Kapi'olani Home for Girls in Honolulu, to her adoption by a Japanese couple who raise her on a farm in California, her marriage and unjust internment at Manzanar Relocation Camp during World War II—and then, after the war, to the life-altering day when she receives a letter from a woman who says she is Ruth’s birth mother, Rachel."

This book, although it is written in a majestic way, with a beautiful prose, full of details, was not what I expected. It is not a bad reading at all, but in several parts of the book, I felt that emotion was lacking.
 
But what kept me stuck to the book? Well, it's a story of an adopted girl (Ruth) by a Japanese family in Hawaii during the second war, who then relocated to California near the attack on Pearl Harbor. This first part of the book is very explicit and interesting, but I think that the author could take more advantage of the historical events of the time to create a story with more emotion.

A book about the family, where we see Ruth grow up and become a mom and a wife, where we get to know a little about the history of internment camps that existed in the US during the war. I think the main message that the author teaches us is perseverance and the importance of keeping the family together in difficult times, teaches us about deep love, about forgiveness and above all about the honor of it.

Thank you to St. Martin Press and NetGalley who provided me with an ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. #DaughterofMolokai #NetGalley

Fourteen years ago, we were introduced to Rachel Kalama in the book, Moloka’i. Rachel, diagnosed with leprosy was quarantined on Moloka’I island in Hawaii, where she birthed a beautiful baby girl, Ruth. Daughter of Moloka’I is Ruth’s story. This second book in the series, released over a decade later, is the life that Ruth leads after leaving Moloka’I, free of leprosy. This read is a sad reminder of the United States’ past, from Japanese internment camps during WWII to the harsh treatment of those that don’t “look like us.”

Moloka’I will always remain a favorite of mine, but this was a worthy follow up, even ending gracefully as the story is finally complete. While this read provides enough background to read as a standalone, I highly recommend picking up book one prior to reading this.

*A review copy of this book was provided by NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I thoroughly enjoyed Moloka’i, needless to say I was more than curious and excited to read Daughter of Moloka’i. Catching up with Ruth was similar to reconnecting with an old friend. Alan Brennert paints a descriptive picture of internment camps and Hansen’s disease. Detailed glimpse into Japanese and Hawaiian culture. Ruth is a strong woman with a sympathetic past. Her character is admirable, you develop a greater fondness for her as the story progresses. An amazing life crafted by Brennert. Anxiously awaiting his next installment in this very enjoyable series.

Alan Brennert is a true storyteller in every sense of the word. Both times I have read his novels, I get the sense that I am sitting down with an old friend in his living room as he tells the story of someone he knows. It is because of this gift that he fills the reader's mind with imagery and situations unparalleled. This is also why, after many years having passed since I read his novel Moloka'i, I can still recall the story of Rachel and her journey through life with leprosy. His novels are richly imagined, and broadly written. The only caveat I will mention is that with such a rich imagination, unnecessary details are often included. Sometimes I read whole sections thinking they could have been left out; the novel would have benefited from a bit more streamlining.

However, I'm willing to deal with the verbosity because of the rich history I learn about in each of his novels. Brennert's stories are well-researched and always intriguing. The detail with which he described the Japanese Internment Camps really had me in the middle of these characters' heartbreaking journey. I appreciated learning more about the terrible choice made by our government at the time.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and Net Galley for gifting me with this novel in exchange for an honest review.

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Beautiful and breathtaking! Heartwarming and emotional! This was a fantastic sequel to Moloka'i and I was delighted to return to the story of Rachel and Ruth. This was wonderfully written. Returning to Rachel's story felt like reconnecting with a cherished friend. The author's beautiful writing tugged at my heart and left me crying on many occasions.

Thank you, Alan Brennert, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for a digital ARC!

I consider Moloka’i to be one of my favorite books of all time, so I was cautiously optimistic about Daughter of Moloka’i. It did not disappoint. Ruth’s life is followed, from the orphanage in Hawaii, to the Central Valley of California, to the Japanese internment camp of Manzanar and onto San Jose. This is another wonderfully written life story by Alan Brennert. I throroughly enjoyed and recommend it.

This is a wonderful story told as a memoir of a young orphan in Hawaii who was “hapa,” half Hawaiian and half Japanese in the 1930s. This story takes you through racial prejudices that increased after the attack of Pearl Harbor and the beginning of WWII. It tells her story from adoption by Japanese parents through Japanese internment at Manzanar and her meeting her birth mother. This novel allows you to experience every emotion from the heights of humor to the depths of human depravity and cruelty. A must read!