Healing Water

July 1, 2008
Gr 5 Up-Pia, 13, lives on the islands of Hawaii in the 1860s. He has a loving family and a lifelong older friend whom he sees as fearless, giving him guidance and direction as he grows. When Pia is discovered to have leprosy, he is shipped to Molokai, a settlement set up by the government to isolate those with the disease. He is angry about losing his family and feels betrayed by Kamaka, who abandons him when he gets sick. Once at Molokai, Pia must learn to survive at a place where people are ostracized like criminals and treated harshly. Readers follow him as he chooses between anger and love, revenge and forgiveness. The richly drawn characters and descriptions of living conditions give insight into the despair of the people and the hope that comes when a priest volunteers to live and work in the colony and bring order to its residents. This book is based on accounts of Hawaiians sent to Molokai and the work of Father Damien. However, the struggle to forgive, and the hope that love brings are timeless themes that are presented in a powerful way."Denise Moore, O'Gorman Junior High School, Sioux Falls, SD"

Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.