Ruth was given up so a baby. Her mother had leprosy and was banished to Moloka'i. There they prepared to live out their lives. No cure for leprosy had be discovered yet. Ruth grew up in a convent with other parentless children. When she was five she was adopted by a Japanese family. Ruth had a Hawaiian mother and a Japanese father. Now she would be raised in a traditional Japanese family. Her family moved to California to help her adopted father's brother in his plantation with his strawberries and grapes. At this time there are prejudices against the Japanese. After Pearl Harbor, it was even worse. The Japanese people living in America were sent to internment camps. Everything the had owned houses and land was taken from them.
If nothing else the family does get closer and weather the hardships together. It isn't until 1988 that the Japanese were apologized to and laws changed.
This a wonderfully written story of mother's and daughters. Forgiveness, strength, determination and loyalty. I learned so much history. There were events I never knew occurred. Excellent, Excellent read!

A follow-up historical novel by Alan Brennart, Daughter of Moloka'i, is fabulous read. The book continues the story of Ruth the daughter born to Rachel and Kenji. Rachel and Kenji lived in the leper colony on Moloka'i and were forced to give up their daughter after birth due to their Hansen's disease. Ruth is adopted by a Japanese family and lives in California during the WW2 era. Much like her mother Ruth faces hardships when her family is confined to the Manzanar Internment Camp.

The relationships and culture captured in this book draws you in. The storyline between Rachel and Ruth is very well written. It would loved Moloka'i then this sequel will not disappoint.

Loved this book. It is just as good as Molaki and Honolulu which I loved..
This writer has the gift of making you believe his characters and I love learning about the Islands

This was a very well written story with many diverse multidimensional characters. It told of a dark period in American history that is often overlooked and seldom explored or taught in classrooms.But the story goes beyond that to a family of Japanese and Hawaiian descendants and the life they lived and loved through the many emotional upheavals experienced that became part of their everyday existence. They became survivals in the face of adversity. They were forced to gaman...and they did.
Daughter of Moloka’i was a great read and such be included in school libraries and especially in the WWII supplemental reading lists.

First of all, thanks so much to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this. I must say that I absolutely adored Moloka’i! This one, however, just didn’t blow me away like the first book did. That being said, it still was a good story! Just for some reason I connected more with the story in the first book and truly felt for the characters in that story. I had my share of tears shed in Moloka’i, but not so much in this one. 3/5 still means I enjoyed it though! I am happy there was a sequel to elaborate more on what happened to Rachel’s daughter.

This story is the sequel to Moloka'i and tells the story of Ruth, the daughter of Rachel Kalama who was forced to give up her child because she was quarantined for leprosy (for most of her life).

We first meet Ruth when she is taken to an orphanage at the age of 3 where the nuns will raise her for another 2 years before she is adopted by a Japanese family, Taizo and Etsuko Wantanbe. We follow Ruth as she learns Japanese traditions, somehow never really fitting in and wondering why she was given up by her birth mother. The secret is for the Watanabes to know, but not to share with their adopted daughter. Eventually the family moves from Hawaii to California where they settle on the farm belonging to Jiro, Taizo's brother. But all is not what it seems as racism runs rampant in the small town and the Japanese are all but segregated. With the advent of WWII and the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the family has no choice but to leave and resettle into several interment camps. Life is cruel there, yet they and other Japanese families live as best they can, first at Tanforan and then resettled again at Manzanar Relocation Camp. Finally, near the end of the war these families were given their freedom. I think this was the most difficult section of the book to read, and a terribly sad part of our U.S. history.

The years forge ahead with Ruth's marriage, her two children and a better life as she settles into Japanese traditions, not remembering her childhood in the orphanage, until one day a letter comes addressed to her. A letter that opens up questions and hopefully answers, a letter from her birth mother. Their reunion lasted 22 years, with both Rachel and Ruth helping to heal each other and form a bond as mother and daughter...Ruth explaining, she has two mothers, her birth mother and the mother who raised her.

This book is stunning, told eloquently as it draws you in...I became so engrossed and nearly finished it in one day! Alan Brennert is a wonderful writer and actually there are not enough words to thank him for his talent and sharing it with us.

As a passing note, reading the chapters about the interment camps gave me much food for thought. We are a country of many ethnic and cultural backgrounds, this is what made us. Then you ask yourself, "how could this happen?" The answer (if there is one) is not quite as easy as you think!

My thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this book! Daughter of Moloka'i is a well told story with meaningful cultural insights. Readers will enjoy the character developments as this family endures challenge after challenge. I especially enjoyed learning more about the Japanese internments during World War II. Alan Brennert delivers an engaging novel that will give you lots to think about well after the book is finished. Loved the strong women characters too!

I’ve always loved Hawaii and anything to do with it’s culture. This book was a sequel to Brennert’s book, Moloka’i, about a woman sent to the leper colony there. The sequel and its predecessor are great examples of well researched and enjoyable historical fiction. It brings to attention the Japanese internment camps during World War II, and how it was a dark chapter in our nations history. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the free ARC

I have absolutely nothing in common with these characters on the outside yet this story informed on how people can easily change their lives with any decision they make.
The story of the Japanese during & after the war was fascinating. To me it was like Cane River in a fundamental way

Having read Moloka'i many years ago I was so excited to see that there was a sequel. And it did not disappoint me! First I want to say that if you did not read Moloka'i that Daughter of Moloka'i can be read as a stand alone book. This book starts with Ruth, the daughter of Rachel who is quarantined on the Island of Moloka'i with Hansen's Disease also known as Leprosy. Ruth is taken away from Rachel and this book follows her as she grows up, marries, has children. Some of the book takes place during WWII and focuses on the treatment of Japanese Americans during that time and how it affects this family.
Daughter of Moloka'i is wonderfully written. It is easy to read and the author has painted a very vivid picture of Ruth's life with both her adopted family and her biological family. You really get to know and understand the main characters.
I strongly recommend reading this book.

#DaughterofMolokai#NetGalley, a new novel by Alan Brennert, can be summed up in the Buddist verb “Gaman” which is mentioned many times in the book. It is defined as “enduring the seeming unbearable with patience and dignity.
This story is a saga about four generations of Ruth’s family. Her heritage is part Hawaiian, part Japanese. She is born in Hawaii and raised in a children’s home by nuns. A Japanese couple with three sons adopt her when she is five. She always looks and feels a lttle different from her new loving family. Time passes. Ruth marries and has chikdren. Prejudice is common and even more so in California where the families move. And then Pearl Harbor is attacked which makes everything much worse. The families are sent to first one internment camp and then another. They endure terrible hardships but make the most of it.
Ruth will finally learn who gave her up for adoption and why. It is so emotional. When her mother gives her a suitcase with a wrapped gift for everyone of her birthdays, it is a tissue box moment!
The story is well told. The characters and descriptions are so vivid. Sad when the book ends!

I love Alan Brennert's writing style. Moloka'i is one of my favorite books and when I found out there was another about Rachel's daughter Ruth, I was so excited and thankful to have the opportunity to read Daughter of Moloka'i prior to publication and it did not disappoint. I could not put the book down and read it through the night. I laughed when Ruth laughed, I was overjoyed to read more into Ruth and Rachel's reunion, and I cried when Ruth lost Only, Slugger, and Snowball, pets that got her through rough times in the orphanage, Manazar, and life. I always wondered Ruth's backstory considering her and her family were sent to the Japanese-American camps in the 1940s and Alan Brennert again brought to life the history of some horrible moments for people, the camps and the Leprosy colony on Moloka'i. I applaud the author for another amazing book.

Moving and enlightening, this is one of the best works of historical fiction I've read in a while. Daughter of Moloka'i vividly illuminates the life of a Japanese-American family, emigrees from Hawaii, as they work to build a life in California but then must endure life in a WWII internment camp and it's aftermath. I did not know much about the internment camps, and this really brought the plight of these families to life. I also loved the look at Japanese culture, and life in pre-war Hawaii and California. This is just a gem all around! If you loved Moloka'i, you will love this story of Rachel's daughter, Ruth. Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's press for the e-arc. 4.5 stars!

I read the novel “Moloka’i”, when it first came out in 2004, before I joined Goodreads. It’s incredibly special to me!
It was my ‘gift-of- choice’- many times!
Instead of a bottle of wine when invited to friends homes for dinner - I brought Moloka’i, as a gift for the hostess.

So, given that Moloka’i is one of my favorite ‘special’ heartfelt books ....when I started “Daughter of Moloka’i”, I was excited - but worried that it couldn’t possibly have the same magic that Moloka’i did.

I began my journey reading and turning pages.
...For the entire first half of the book, I ‘was enjoying the characters -but often felt I knew what was coming next. The predictability didn’t bother me - but I knew I had two concerns: My biggest was that this book wouldn’t have ‘the magic’ that Moloka’i did. See how concerned I was? ....This is my second time mentioning my desire for the *MAGIC .....(melting/floating/dreamlike/heaven on earth/ love//love/love quality), that Moloka’i had.
And honestly ( lots of honesty in this review), it didn’t have it....*YET*. Not for the first half. Plus I had another worry. I feared I ‘knew’ too much about the subject matter in “Daughter of Moloka’i” - ( speaking of the historical history):
(Japanese immigrants during WW II - and the injustice of internment)
....whereas, when I read Molokai, I didn’t know anything about leprosy.
In both novels, the history was horrific injustice.

But.... OH MY GOSH...I KID YOU NOT... and I was a hard ass cookie - coming at this book with a critical eye - as in “don’t mess with ‘my’ Moloka’i’....( you can laugh now - for being too overly dramatic and possessive)....BUT I TURNED INTO MUSH TWICE - then a THIRD time when I was talking to Paul in bed this morning. I was a wet sloppy noodle. Emotionally...this book got to me. Especially around the themes between mothers and daughters. As a mother myself - I have often asked myself the question, what is it I would like to most pass on to my daughters?
Mother’s: beware..... you might cry once or twice.

Commercial Break:
Note to the Author: Alan, when it comes to YOU ...and ANY BOOK with HAWAII in it.....I should know by now - Your book “Honolulu” was FANTASTIC, too...and it had MAGIC .....that ‘it’ quality you do SO WELL....
.......that I will NEVER DOUBT YOU AGAIN.
Any time you write a book about Hawaii —- it’s MAGICAL!!! You can’t do anything less!

Back to “Daughter of Moloka’i”:
So, something change for me about half way into my reading...( we ‘do’ need the story in the first half though), this went from a good book, likable, to simply wonderful!!!!! Just like when you make a new friend, you might see a lot of qualities you admire, but it’s not the same as when that ‘something’ clicks. An intimacy has bonded you. I became deeper invested in the story the more I read and the characters became like family to me.
I felt pride -thankful that Alan wrote ‘this’ novel.....setting parts of it in my city. We have a lot of Japanese American history here in San Jose. Japantown, itself is a thriving community.

Manzanar, located in Inyo County, - near the foot of the Sierra, Nevada in California, is one of ten American concentration camps where over 110,000 Japanese-Americans were interned during World War II from December 1942 to 1945. You learn more about this first hand - experientially through the storytelling. Horrible unfair times!

We take an engaging beautiful & bittersweet journey with Ruth starting from when she was separated from her mother at birth. Ruth’s temperament and personality begins to take shape very young. She loves animals passionately her entire life. She’s a precocious strong-willed little girl who grows up to be a remarkable independent- gracious - wife - mother - and career/ mother ( by choice). A great daughter - friend. She’s outspoken and stands for civil rights.....for all justice - empowering her own daughters wishes as well. She’s a modern thinking woman -as she was as a child before she even understood herself.

The hotel Sainte Claire- ( right downtown here in San Jose) - is where Ruth is reunited with her birth mother Rachel. For 32 years she was angry at this strange woman, because she never understood why her birth mother didn’t want her. She’s about to find out.

The Sainte Claire was one of finest hotels in San Jose in the 1920s ( when it was built) …Even today- One of the oldest hotels in our city - it’s still gorgeous.

Ruth’s husband Frank, is a great man - their children are lovely too. The Japanese culture of honor - fidelity- and humbleness is inspiring. Ruth’s adopted parents are wonderful... things that happen are horrific- but this family sticks together.
It’s when Ruth meets her mother for the first time at the Sainte Claire, when I was on the edge of having tears for the rest of the book. Sobbing tears a couple of times.
Granted I’m extra sensitive these days with some medical problems - but......the writing made me cry!

I haven’t even mentioned parts in Hawaii yet, ....Maui, ....Molokai, etc.
.....Alan Brennert does Hawaiian descriptions brilliantly: You’ll want to be there!!!.....I could picture the banyan trees, the flowers, the glorious colors of the water....those morning skies, rainbows, the lush tropical areas.

Sentences like this gave me goosebumps: “Blue-and black striped butterflyfishes nibbled on plankton on the rocky bottom, as an electric-blue unicornfish munched on a strand of seaweed”.
“Purple mushrooms, black coral, orange scorpionfish”, etc etc.
I get excited just thinking about Hawaii. Paul and spent our honeymoon in Maui and Kawai - 14 days - and last year we bought a condo vacation unit on the beach in Maui. And our daughter will be having her wedding party in Hawaii next year.
We’ve got some Hawaii-attachments.

The way in which Alan wraps this story up - and ties it in with the story we started with “Moloka’i”, back in 2004, has ALL THE QUALITIES I WAS HOPING FOR!!! I’m melting jello.

LOVED IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank You, Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Alan Brennert





































The magic is in Daughter of Molokai
Friend Reviews (112) 4.25 average rating
Lisa Vegan
Jul 07, 2018
Lisa Vegan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
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I am so angry. I posted a review on 7/6 of the only text edition here, ISBN: 7=978-250-13766-1. The edition and my likes and at least 17 comments are gone, missing. I read a paperback advance readers' edition.

Re-posting on 7/7:

I’m deeply grateful to Danielle Prielipp from the book’s publisher, St. Martin’s Press, for contacting me and offering me this advance readers’ copy in exchange for an honest review. The book is not due to be on sale until 2019/02/19 and I was delighted to receive my copy ...more
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Linda
Jul 16, 2018
Linda rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
I have enjoyed Alan Brennart’s previous excellent historical novels—Molokai is a particular favorite. The main character of this novel, Ruth, is the daughter of Rachel and Kenji, who were forced by law to give up their child since they both suffered from Hansen’s disease, and lived in the leper colony on the island of Molokai. Their daughter, Ruth, was placed in a Catholic orphanage until she was adopted by a Japanese couple at age 5. We follow Ruth through her happy childhood in Hawaii, and the ...more
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Anne
Sep 26, 2018
Anne rated it it was ok
The book started out well, but halfway through the writing became very stiff and amateurish. The writing reminded me of a high school creative writing class.
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Theresa


independent- gracious - wife - mother - and career/ mother ( by choice). A great daughter - friend. She’s outspoken and stands for civil rights.....for all justice - empowering her own daughters wishes as well. She’s a modern thinking woman -as she was as a child before she even understood herself.

The hotel Sainte Claire- ( right downtown here in San Jose) - is where Ruth is reunited with her birth mother Rachel. For 32 years she was angry at this strange woman, because she never understood why her birth mother didn’t want her. She’s about to find out.

The Sainte Claire was one of finest hotels in San Jose in the 1920s ( when it was built) …Even today- One of the oldest hotels in our city - it’s still gorgeous.

Ruth’s husband Frank, is a great man - their children are lovely too. The Japanese culture of honor - fidelity- and humbleness is inspiring. Ruth’s adopted parents are wonderful... things that happen are horrific- but this family sticks together.
It’s when Ruth meets her mother for the first time at the Sainte Claire, when I was on the edge of having tears for the rest of the book. Sobbing tears a couple of times.
Granted I’m extra sensitive these days with some medical problems - but......the writing made me cry!

I haven’t even mentioned parts in Hawaii yet, ....Maui, ....Molokai, etc.
.....Alan Brennert does Hawaiian descriptions brilliantly: You’ll want to be there!!!.....I could picture the banyan trees, the flowers, the glorious colors of the water....those morning skies, rainbows, the lush tropical areas.

Sentences like this gave me goosebumps: “Blue-and black striped butterflyfishes nibbled on plankton on the rocky bottom, as an electric-blue unicornfish munched on a strand of seaweed”.
“Purple mushrooms, black coral, orange scorpionfish”, etc etc.
I get excited just thinking about Hawaii. Paul and spent our honeymoon in Maui and Kawai - 14 days - and last year we bought a condo vacation unit on the beach in Maui. And our daughter will be having her wedding party in Hawaii next year.
We’ve got some Hawaii-attachments.

The way in which Alan wraps this story up - and ties it in with the story we started with “Moloka’i”, back in 2004, has ALL THE QUALITIES I WAS HOPING FOR!!! I’m melting jello.

The magic was in Moloka’i
The magic is in Daughter of Moloka’i (less)

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Friend Reviews (112) 4.25 average rating
Lisa Vegan
Jul 07, 2018
Lisa Vegan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
Shelves: advance-copy, 1-also-at-lt, dogs, from-author-publisher, goodreads-author, fiction, historical-fiction, novel, orphaned-and-quasi-orphaned-kids, san-francisco
I am so angry. I posted a review on 7/6 of the only text edition here, ISBN: 7=978-250-13766-1. The edition and my likes and at least 17 comments are gone, missing. I read a paperback advance readers' edition.

Re-posting on 7/7:

I’m deeply grateful to Danielle Prielipp from the book’s publisher, St. Martin’s Press, for contacting me and offering me this advance readers’ copy in exchange for an honest review. The book is not due to be on sale until 2019/02/19 and I was delighted to receive my copy ...more
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Linda
Jul 16, 2018
Linda rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
I have enjoyed Alan Brennart’s previous excellent historical novels—Molokai is a particular favorite. The main character of this novel, Ruth, is the daughter of Rachel and Kenji, who were forced by law to give up their child since they both suffered from Hansen’s disease, and lived in the leper colony on the island of Molokai. Their daughter, Ruth, was placed in a Catholic orphanage until she was adopted by a Japanese couple at age 5. We follow Ruth through her happy childhood in Hawaii, and the ...more
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Anne
Sep 26, 2018
Anne rated it it was ok
The book started out well, but halfway through the writing became very stiff and amateurish. The writing reminded me of a high school creative writing class.
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Sep 19, 2018
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Jun 21, 2018
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How can this book possibly have a rating if it hasn't been released yet?

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Sarah Advance copies were recently made available by the publisher to early reviewers and librarians (I'm part of this group).
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I read Moloka’i when it first came out and became a fan of Alan Brennert. How is it possible to get an advance copy?

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Paul Jr. Goodreads is doing a giveaway of 100 advance copies. But there are only 2 more hours to enter for a chance to win.
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Lists with This Book
The Abolitionist's Daughter by Diane C. McPhailPark Avenue Summer by Renee RosenThe Lost History of Dreams by Kris WaldherrThe Huntress by Kate QuinnAmerican Princess by Stephanie Thornton
Historical Fiction 2019
137 books — 74 voters
The Seduction Expert by La BaronneThe Silent Patient by Alex MichaelidesDaughter of Moloka'i by Alan BrennertCape May by Chip CheekThe Perfect Liar by Thomas Christopher Greene
2019 Most Anticipated Releases -No YA
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Community Reviews
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Elyse Walters
Aug 02, 2018
Elyse Walters rated it it was amazing
I read the novel “Moloka’i”, when it first came out in 2004, before I joined Goodreads. It’s incredibly special to me!
It was my ‘gift-of- choice’- many times! Instead of a bottle of wine when invited to friends homes for dinner - I brought Moloka’i, as a gift for the hostess.

So, given that Moloka’i is one of my favorite ‘special’ heartfelt books ....when I started “Daughter of Moloka’i”, I was excited - but worried that it couldn’t possibly have the same magic that Moloka’i did.

I began my jou ...more
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95 likes · 38 comments · see review
Lisa Vegan
Jul 07, 2018
Lisa Vegan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
Shelves: advance-copy, 1-also-at-lt, dogs, from-author-publisher, goodreads-author, fiction, historical-fiction, novel, orphaned-and-quasi-orphaned-kids, san-francisco
I am so angry. I posted a review on 7/6 of the only text edition here, ISBN: 7=978-250-13766-1. The edition and my likes and at least 17 comments are gone, missing. I read a paperback advance readers' edition.

Re-posting on 7/7:

I’m deeply grateful to Danielle Prielipp from the book’s publisher, St. Martin’s Press, for contacting me and offering me this advance readers’ copy in exchange for an honest review. The book is not due to be on sale until 2019/02/19 and I was delighted to receive my copy ...more
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35 likes · Unlike · 31 comments · see review
Guy Aoki
Jun 26, 2018
Guy Aoki rated it it was amazing
I worked with the author on verifying historical facts, linguistic and cultural terms, so I read the advance original manuscript. i was knocked out by Alan's gift--how he makes you feel the essence of every character and puts you in their shoes. This sweeping epic covers 54 years from 1916 to 1970 and takes you from Honolulu to Northern California to the Japanese American concentration camps of World War II (where 120,000 loyal immigrants and citizens were interned for 3-4 years simply because o ...more
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11 likes · Unlike · 6 comments · see review
Jaksen
Jul 29, 2018
Jaksen rated it liked it
Shelves: giveaways
I won this book through the giveaway program. Thank you so much, Goodreads!

A good enough read, though simply written. About a girl born to lepers and raised first by nuns, then a family in Hawaii. Eventually she comes to mainland US, gets caught up in an internment camp during WWII and yes, meets her birth mother. It's a looong tale but it never drew me in.

I tend to read mysteries, books with puzzles in them, characters with great depth who say and do and think in remarkable ways and this book j ...more
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8 likes · Like · 5 comments · see review
Linda
Jul 16, 2018
Linda rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
I have enjoyed Alan Brennart’s previous excellent historical novels—Molokai is a particular favorite. The main character of this novel, Ruth, is the daughter of Rachel and Kenji, who were forced by law to give up their child since they both suffered from Hansen’s disease, and lived in the leper colony on the island of Molokai. Their daughter, Ruth, was placed in a Catholic orphanage until she was adopted by a Japanese couple at age 5. We follow Ruth through her happy childhood in Hawaii, and the ...more
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4 likes · Like · comment · see review
Erica
Sep 13, 2018
Erica rated it really liked it
Shelves: goodreads-giveaways
I loved the first book, Moloka'i, and was excited to see that there would be a sequel released soon. Fortunately, I didn't have long to wait because I was one of the lucky winners of a goodreads giveaway of an advanced reader copy. I enjoyed Daughter of Moloka'i very much. Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres and the subject of Japanese internment camps is one I am very interested in and embarrassed to admit that I only recently learned about. The part of the book that described the i ...more
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4 likes · Like · comment · see review
Meredith
Jul 25, 2018
Meredith rated it it was amazing
Shelves: giveaways
What an incredibly well written book! I think at one point very early on, I might have hate a critique or two but those were long ago forgotten. I’m absolutely in love with the story. I laughed, I cried, I felt like I was part of Ruth’s “ohaha”. I’m sorry the rest of you have to wait until 2019 to enjoy. I’m off to find Moloka’i now so I can read more about Rachel! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ...more
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2 likes · Like · see review
Kimberly Kosydor
Aug 01, 2018
Kimberly Kosydor rated it it was amazing
Shelves: goodreads-giveaways
This companion novel to Moloka'i was wonderful. I loved the more in depth look into Ruth's story and even more so her relationship with Rachel. This was just as heartbreaking and equally hopeful as Moloka'i. I can't recommend these books enough! Go read them!
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2 likes · Like · comment · see review
Joyce
Aug 27, 2018
Joyce rated it it was amazing
Could not put this book down. The writing is so wonderful I felt like I was there experiencing it all.
Very detailed historical novel gives the reader a more intimate glimpse of the Japanese internment, the tearing apart of families, their losses, their resilience and pride. Both tears and smiles through
out the read. Wonderful writing, beautiful and sad story being told. A must read.
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2 likes · Like · comment · see review
Megan
Jul 19, 2018
Megan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
Shelves: american-stories, firstreads, historical-fiction
I've had a copy of Moloka'i sitting on my TBR bookcase for far too long and had planned to read it before reading this one when I found out that I was a FirstReads winner. However, I ended up reading this one first, partly because I received my FirstReads copy so quickly, but also because this novel is billed as a companion read, rather than a follow-up, to Moloka'i. While I have not yet read the first part of the story, I was completely drawn in from the first page and cannot wait to read Rache ...more
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1 like · Like · 1 comment · see review
Jk
Sep 22, 2018
Jk rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
Shelves: first-reads, oadds
I received a free Advance Reader's Edition of this book via the Goodreads Giveaways program and would like to thank anyone who had a hand in making that happen!

I had purchased Moloka'i by Alan Brennert a few years ago and hadn't gotten around to reading it yet, despite having numerous people tell me how great it was. So when I was notified that I won the giveaway for it's sequel I immediately moved it to the top of my reading list.

Both of these books are absolutely gorgeous examples of top-notc ...more
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1 like · Like · comment · see review
Laura
Jul 29, 2018
Laura rated it it was amazing
Shelves: fiction, netgalley, historical-fiction
Ruth's story is vivid and poignant. Her mother Rachel was quarantined with Hansens disease on Moloka'i and was forced to give up her child hours after birth. Ruth spent her early years in an orphanage and was adopted by a Japanese-American family at the age of five. After moving from Hawaii to California, Ruth and her family endured anti-Japanese prejudice and hatred for years, which came to a head after Pearl Harbor. A good portion of the book is set during their unjust internment at Manzanar R ...more
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1 like · Like · comment · see review
Myrna-lynn
Aug 17, 2018
Myrna-lynn rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
I am a huge fan of Alan Brennert. Having read Moloka'i I jumped at the chance to read Daughter of Moloka'i. I was not disappointed. Ruth is the daughter of Rachael and Kenji who we read about in Moloka'i. We watch Ruth grow up and her experience of being Japanese during WWII. The author does an amazing job in making you feel that you are right there in that period of history. You will fall in love with the characters. Their joy becomes your joy and their sorrow yours. I do not want to say to muc ...more
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1 like · Like · comment · see review
Susan
Aug 17, 2018
Susan rated it really liked it
Thank you to Goodreads and St Martins Press for allowing me the opportunity to win a copy of Daughter of Moloka’i. Excellent read! Historical fiction is my favorite genre and unfortunately, the history of the internment of Japanese citizens is especially important to remember in today’s world. Loved the explanations of Japanese culture and descriptions of various Hawaiian islands.

I did not realize this was the 2nd in a series and now i must go back and read Moloka’i! The list keeps getting longe ...more
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1 like · Like · comment · see review
Bonnie
Aug 18, 2018
Bonnie rated it really liked it · review of another edition
Shelves: first-reads
Beautifully written. I really felt for the characters, and all that they went through. Thoroughly heartfelt read.
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1 like · Like · comment · see review
Donna
Aug 13, 2018
Donna rated it really liked it
Mr. Brennert does it again! Another wonderful story of a woman's survival under the worst of circumstances. Ruth is so much like her mother. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this. I will definitely pass it on to friends and family.
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1 like · Like · comment · see review
Kara Mayfield
Sep 13, 2018
Kara Mayfield rated it really liked it
A great follow-up book! So thankful to win an advanced copy. I love how the author describes the surroundings so well that you can smell the flowers & feel the heat, but doesn’t use too many words to do so.
Read it & learn about Ruth’s life; plus the atrocities our country put the Japanese Americans through during WW2...truly embarrassing.
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1 like · Like · comment · see review
Valerie
Aug 06, 2018
Valerie rated it it was amazing
Working as a public librarian, Moloka'i is one of the books that I recommend over and over again, and every person reading it has loved it as well. Needless to say, I was thrilled when I won an advanced reader's copy of Daughter of Moloka'i. It is equally compelling to read. I loved reading about Ruth, and her relationship with her adopted family as well as her birth mother, Rachel. I learned so much about the Japanese internment at Manzanar Relocation Camp, and the things people had to endure. ...more
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1 like · Like · see review
Kathleen
Jul 22, 2018
Kathleen rated it really liked it · review of another edition
Shelves: adult, historicalfiction
The story of Ruth is vivid in description and gives a voice to so many parts of our history. A pleasure to read.
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1 like · Like · comment · see review
Nioke
Sep 11, 2018
Nioke rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
Daughter of Moloka'i is a companion book to Moloka'i but can stand alone. This is an absolutely gorgeous book!! Beautifully written historical fiction with vivid characters that you feel like you know and a perfectly paced plot. These characters will stay with me for a long time.
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1 like · Like · comment · see review
Emily
Sep 06, 2018
Emily rated it really liked it
I received a free advanced copy of this book through Goodreads Giveaway, but it was on my To Read list, and I would have bought a copy of it when it came out anyway. This is my fourth read by Alan Brennert, and I've been looking forward to his newest release. This book takes up the story of Ruth, the daughter of Rachel, the main character in Brennert's book "Moloka'i", but it can be read alone, without knowledge of the other. But of course, if you haven't read the other, you'll want to! "Daughte ...more
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1 like · Like · comment · see review
Lois Sittu
Aug 03, 2018
Lois Sittu rated it really liked it
I did not read Moloka'i. You can read Daughter Of Moloka'i on its own and get an idea of what Moloka'i was probably about. This was a great read that informs the reader about Japanese and Hawaiian culture and the importance of family. It also covers the internment of Japanese American citizens during World War II and how unjust it was. The main story is Ruth who was separated from her mother at birth, adopted by Japanese immigrants, reunification with her birth mother and the love that develops ...more
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1 like · Like · comment · see review
Tracey
Sep 04, 2018
Tracey rated it it was amazing
Shelves: giveaway
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU to St. Martins Press for my ARC of Alan Brennert's next bestseller Daughter of Moloka'i. I was so excited to be named a winner, that I went back and re-read the first one, Molokai. Not that it was necessary in order to understand what was going on, but I'm glad I did. I read the Moloka'i 15 years ago and re-reading it brought me closer to Rachel and other characters in her story. Now for Daughter of Moloka'i.....I LOVED IT!!! I finished it on a plane bound for hom ...more
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1 like · Like · comment · see review
Elizabeth
Sep 09, 2018
Elizabeth rated it it was amazing
Shelves: giveaways
A moving sequel that did not disappoint. I instantly fell in love with Molokai and Daughter of Molokai was no different. These books are ones that I will recommend for years to come.
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1 like · Like · comment · see review
Aletha Pagett
Sep 07, 2018
Aletha Pagett rated it it was amazing
I received this attention getting, emotional roller coaster novel, set in the world war II Japanese/American community, from Goodreads. For me, the only disappointment was not having read Brennert's novel, Moloka'i. A wonderful story of unexpected love, family bonds, and endurance.
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1 like · Like · comment · see review
Andra Starshak
Sep 06, 2018
Andra Starshak rated it it was amazing
Shelves: giveaways
I received this book as part of a St. Martin’s Press Giveaway, and I could not put it down. At first I was dismayed that the story was not unfolding on Molokai, however it soon became so much more than a sequel. The warmth of the characters and the blending of cultures was wonderful.
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1 like · Like · comment · see review
Camille
Sep 19, 2018
Camille marked it as to-read
September 25, 2018: IT CAME IN THE MAIL TODAY. It says "Advanced Reader's Copy" and everything! I feel so fancy, like an actual book critic who gets paid to review books early. I just started Emma by Jane Austen so as soon as I finished that, I'll start on this!

*****

September 16, 2018: so uhm, I won a copy of this book through the Goodreads giveaway? What a life to live. Like, wow. And something even crazier? I didn't even know about this sequel until a week prior to the giveaway. So, uhm, madne ...more
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Lilee
Aug 18, 2018
Lilee rated it liked it
Shelves: hyped-to-read, historical-fiction, giveaways, arc, own, american-historical, out-in-2019
2.5/5 stars

Review coming soon.
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Anne
Sep 26, 2018
Anne rated it it was ok
The book started out well, but halfway through the writing became very stiff and amateurish. The writing reminded me of a high school creative writing class.
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Danielle Prielipp
Danielle Prielipp
rated it it was amazing
Jun 25, 2018
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About Alan Brennert
Alan Brennert
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Alan Brennert is the author of the historical novels Palisades Park, Honolulu (chosen one of the best books of 2009 by The Washington Post), and Moloka'i, which won the 2006 Bookies Award, sponsored by the Contra Costa Library, for the Book Club Book of the Year (and has sold over 600,000 copies since publication). It was also a 2012 One Book, One San Diego selection. He has won an Emmy Award and ...more
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A.D. 30 (A.D., #1)

Daughter of Moloka'i is a companion book to Moloka'i but can stand alone. This is an absolutely gorgeous book!! Beautifully written historical fiction with vivid characters that you feel like you know and a perfectly paced plot. These characters will stay with me for a long time.

The first book I read by Alan Brennert was Moloka'i. It was recommended by a friend and when I asked what it was about, they told me "a leper colony." Now, at the time I couldn't think of anything less appealing, but because of her insistence, I read it. It became one of my favorite books ever! When I saw Daughter of Moloka'i, I had to read it, but I began with a feeling that it couldn't possibly live up to its predecessor. Brennert continues to prove me wrong! I loved it, just as much as Moloka'i, even though it is a totally different book. Like the first book, Brennert has me completely absorbed by a topic I didn't even know I wanted to know more about.

I really enjoyed reading Daughter of Moloka’i. I have previously read Moloka’i and Honolulu. I appreciated the ability of Alan Brennert to once again share the life of his characters in a way that lets you get to know them and share in their life. Learning more about the saddening history of how those of Asian decent have been treated in the History of the US was done in a way that seemed very well researched and the information after the epilogue was very informative. It was a good adult book choice for me.

This is the sequel to Moloka'i. It tells the story of Rachel's daughter, Ruth. At a year old, Ruth was taken from Kalaupapa to the Kapi'olani Home for Girls. At a young age, she was adopted by a Japanese couple. Their family left Hawaii and moved to California's farmland. When WWII struck, the family was interned at the Manzanar Relocation Camp. Years later, Ruth receives a letter from a woman claiming to be her birth mother.

This book had some of the same problems that Moloka'i had. The characters seemed detached and superficial. I never felt like I knew who the characters were. Relationships with secondary characters also seemed superficial. Time also moved quickly in this book, skipping through what may have been important moments. Overall, not a bad book, but not something I would reread or recommend.

I am a huge fan of Alan Brennert. Having read Moloka'i I jumped at the chance to read Daughter of Moloka'i. I was not disappointed. Ruth is the daughter of Rachael and Kenji who we read about in Moloka'i. We watch Ruth grow up and her experience of being Japanese during WWII. The author does an amazing job in making you feel that you are right there in that period of history. You will fall in love with the characters. Their joy becomes your joy and their sorrow yours. I do not want to say to much of what happens in this book. I would rather the reader find out for themselves all the events that take place, just as I did. You will not regret picking this book, I highly recommend this book.

Ruth's story is vivid and poignant. Her mother Rachel was quarantined with Hansens disease on Moloka'i and was forced to give up her child hours after birth. Ruth spent her early years in an orphanage and was adopted by a Japanese-American family at the age of five. After moving from Hawaii to California, Ruth and her family endured anti-Japanese prejudice and hatred for years, which came to a head after Pearl Harbor. A good portion of the book is set during their unjust internment at Manzanar Relocation Camp during World War II. Dauther of Moloka'i expands upon Ruth and Rachel’s 22-year relationship, only hinted at in the first book about Rachel. Although this book works as a stand-alone novel, those who have read Moloka'i will be especially appreciative of Ruth's story. Highly recommended.