Bought with an Amazon gift certificate my brother gave me for my birthday in May.

Synopsis from Amazon.co.uk
Young Rachel Kalama, growing up in idyllic Honolulu in the 1890s, dreams of seeing far-off lands, but at the age of seven Rachel's dreams are shattered by the discovery that she has leprosy. Forcibly removed from the family, she's sent to an isolated leprosy settlement on the island of Moloka'i. In exile Rachel finds a family of friends to replace the family she's lot - but loss remains a constant shadow as Rachel watches those she loves succumb to the ravages of leprosy. Moloka'i is a story of hope, dignity, and the strength of the human spirit.

What a wonderful book! Rachel's story although one of great sorrow & poignancy is also full hope & strength. The way she & the other members of the leper colony at Kalaupapa on Moloka'i manage to build lives for themselves which are as ordinary as they can make them, they joys & sorrows of birth, life & death, is truly remarkable. The ups & downs of the progress their disease & the hope in the background that one day the will be paroled from the colony. One of the best books I have read this year.

I'm going to pop this in with a couple of other books going on a NSS mission :) Hope you enjoy this non-wishlist book.

This arrived in the huge NSS parcel that I got to open this morning. I've never heard of this book before, but it looks like a good one, so thank you very much, scotsbookie! :-D