Although this is a sequel it can easily be read without reading Moloka'i. In my opinion Moloka'i was more compelling probably because I knew much less about the hardships and rules surrounding leprosy in the past than I know about the hardships of the Japanese during WW2. The characters are beautifully developed with full dimension for the main characters. Details for places are thorough and descriptive to help transport the reader to the place. The hardships of life encountered by the characters to the beauty of tropical islands and plants are described in great detail. In the middle of the book I just felt it needed to be propelled, I was getting tired of the storyline at that point. It did pick up and moves toward a conclusion without rushing the details. Recommend!

This book was so perfectly weird. Very relatable for my relationship and life. My husband kept peaking over my shoulder and laughing with my from cover to cover,

Sequels of well loved books always have big shoes to fill. There’s always some trepidation going into it as a reader because the bar has been set so high with the first book. I was delighted to get my hands on a copy of the much anticipated sequel Daughter of Moloka’i and I was ecstatic that not only did it live up to my expectations, it exceeded them. Not only that but dare I say- book two may be my favorite.
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Daughter of Moloka’i is the story of Ruth. Removed from her leprous parents at birth, the story starts with her arrival at the orphanage. The reader follows her years at the orphanage, her entry into her adopted family, growing up, and her eventual reconciliation with her birth mother.
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This emotional tale is powerful and will stay with the reader long after the final page. Rich in history and scenic details, this is a fantastic book and firmly wedged its place in my top 10 favorite books of all time. Both Moloka’i and Daughter of Moloka’i are emotionally charged and solid 5 star reads for me. This sequel for me gets all of the stars. Thank you @stmartinspress for this advance reader in exchange for my honest review.

I didn't read the first book "Miloka'i by Alan Brennert, but ..I will have to go back and read it. This book was an emotional read for me; as I learned a lot about things I wasn't well aware of that happened to the Japanese in Hawaii during WWII. It made me realize how much of history we do not know. Alan Brennert can definitely deliver a book that makes you look at everything around you differently! It is beautifully written and you will find that you cannot put it down.

Daughter of Moloka’i is the sequel to 2004’s bestselling Molokai and it continues the saga by following the daughter Rachel and Kenji were forced to give up for adoption in Moloka’i. I don’t think it’s necessary to read the books in order, but you should definitely read both because they’re each fantastic.

Ruth is a spirited, animal loving orphan at the Kapi’olani Home for Girls in Honolulu. Half Hawaiian and half Japanese, Ruth is unaware that her parents are alive and quarantined on the leper colony of Moloka’i. Adopted by a Japanese family at the age of four, Ruth has a happy childhood while being raised on a farm in California. She grows up, marries and has children, owns a business; basically lives the American dream. Then everything changes on December 7th, 1941.

When I first picked this up I had no idea it would largely be about the WW2 Japanese internment camps. It’s a dark part of American’s history, and Brennert spares no details as you read the degradation and injustice suffered by Japanese residents at the hands of the US Government. They lose their homes and livelihoods, and spend years detained like animals. Brennert does a great job of relaying the history and politics of those years, while also maintaining a compelling story.

But the story doesn’t end there. Years after Ruth and her family are allowed to leave, she receives a phone call from her birth mother, and her world is turned upside once again, thankfully in a good way. For all the heartache written in the first 75% of the book, the last quarter is downright heartwarming as Ruth connects with birth mother Rachel and learns the story of her own past and gains a cherished family member. Rachel also helps Ruth deal with the lingering rage from her time in the internment camps.

This was such a good story. It’s long, and slowly paced at times, but Brennent weaves history, heartbreak and beauty into the big and little moments in life.

The sequel to Moloka'i begins in 1917 with baby Ruth Utagawa being delivered to the Kapi'olani Home for Girls in O'ahu by Sister Catherine Voorheis. Ruth's parents are inmates at the leper colony in Kalaupapa and are not allowed by law to keep their baby. Ruth is part Hawaiian and part Japanese (hapa) and at age five, she comes to be adopted by a Japanese couple, the Watanabes.

Taizo Watanabe is offered land to farm in California by his older brother, Jiro, and the couple is lured there by the chance of a better life. Unfortunately all is not as promised and some harsh realities must be faced. But worst of all is the amount of racial prejudice they encounter.

The years go by, bringing the Depression and the Dust bowl...and then the dark days of WWII and the war hysteria which results in the forced internment in camps of all Japanese people living in America, including the Watanabe family.

This is a moving family saga which shines a light on the tragedy of racial prejudice and its effects on people's lives. And although it is beautifully written and touching, the last half of the book seemed a bit of a never-ending slog to me. Perhaps if I had read Moloka'i first, I might have felt more invested in the characters and the drama of their lives. I'm not entirely convinced families are as accepting and inclusive as these people seemed to be. It would be nice if it were so.

I found myself waiting for the book to bring something new to my understanding of this period of history and was disappointed that it really didn't. I've read several very good books along the same lines that I can highly recommend as well, such as:

Snow Falling on Cedars; Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet; When the Emperor Was Divine; and The Translation of Love, to name a few.

I received an arc from the publisher via NetGalley for my honest review. I appreciate the opportunity.

Historical fiction that spans from the early part of the 20th century through to the almost present time. Ruth starts her life in an orphanage in Honolulu, a victim of the laws that separated children from their leprous parents. She is lucky to be adopted by a Japanese American family and her story tells of her life in Honolulu and California, including time spent in a Japanese Internment camp during WWII.

Although this story slides into melodrama sometimes and sometimes is a bit heavy handed with the history part of the story, this is at its core a wonderful story of life, loss, love, resilience and redemption. Ruth is a powerfully sympathetic and strong character and the research that the author put into this story is evident in its accuracy. A great story for lovers of romance, family drama, and 20th century historical fiction.

Daughter of Moloka'i is a beautiful testament to the power of love and family in overcoming the trials of life. I had never heard of the first book in this series, Moloka'i, which follows Rachel, the mother of the main character in Daughter of Moloka'i, Ruth. I am a huge historical fiction fan, so the idea of covering so much time in this book was incredibly appealing to me. It stretches from the 1910's in Hawaii, all the way to 1970's California. The prospect of learning about both Hawaiian and Japanese cultures was also very interesting to me. I ended up learning so much from this book. 

Ruth was a fascinating character to follow on her journey. From her beginnings in an orphanage where she was different than the other children around her (because she was half Hawaiian, half Japanese), she was always a little spitfire, and I absolutely loved her spirit. Once she was adopted by a Japanese family, I really loved seeing her embrace that side of her culture. Towards the end of the book, she begins to explore her Hawaiian roots, which I loved because it showed that your past is always a part of you. 

As someone who is going through the adoption process myself, seeing Ruth's relationship with her adoptive family was incredibly special. I loved how her family always made sure to make her feel like she belonged, like she was no different than her brothers. And, later in the book when she meets her biological mother, I loved how supportive her family was of Ruth exploring this part of herself. It was a beautiful portrait of family and how love can overcome so much. 

As for the section of the book about the war, I really knew basically nothing about the Japanese internment camps in the United States during WWII. This book was a fascinating and heartbreaking look into this part of my country's history. I can see why our history books would have tried to push this under the rug, so to speak, and I'm glad that I am now a little bit more informed about this terrible injustice. 

Brennert's writing is poignant and beautiful. I was brought to tears more than once, and I am now exceedingly excited to go back and pick up the first book in this series. That, to me, is the mark of a fantastic book and a great writer. 

My Rating:
   
I gave Daughter of Moloka'i 5 STARS! This is a great read if you are into historical fiction, books about families, and learning more about other cultures.

If you loved or were touched by Molokai as much as I was when your first read it, you will love this book. I really enjoyed reading from the daughters perspective and what it was like for her growing up.

DAUGHTER OF MOLOKA’I by Alan Brennert was worth the 15 year wait. It is not a light read or an easy one but will not disappoint. Word of caution. I read Moloka’i for book club over a decade ago so it’s been a long time since I thought of Rachel’s story. If you just read Moloka’i, this book might read differently for you. For me, I loved how the book focused on Ruth and all the relationships that formed her life.

I would have given it five stars but the language was tough for me. Between the Hawaiian words and the Japanese words, I struggled during the first third of the book to keep everyone’s names and cultural references straight. However, once it clicked, I read the rest of the book in a single day. I also found myself stopping to look up historical places and people. There were many times I cringed at what people were capable of but also times I rejoiced in the hope of the novel. All throughout, I was amazed by the beauty of Brennert’s characters.

I received an advanced copy of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Daughter of Molokai is a second book, the first one I now must go find and read since this one was so good. This book follows the story of Ruth and how she was given up at birth due to her mother being quarantined with an illness, which the first book goes into, and sent to an orphanage where she was later adopted. The book gives a great feel of what it was like during the World War II era, the racism she felt growing up, the internment camp she, her husband, and children were sent to, and all the struggles they went through and later how she was reunited with her mother and leaned more about her past. A great reminder about a bad time in our history.

‘Daughter of Molokai’ is a horribly bittersweet book, filled with love, family, and friendship, but also the worst losses and hardships a person can endure. It gave me new insight into the plight of Japanese-Americans, how they were treated before, during, and after the war. I highly recommend this book, if not to refresh your high school history class, but to experience the rollercoaster of emotions Ruth and her family experience.

Alan Brennert has done it again! I'm totally intrigued with all his writing and research of a subject matter that is near and dear to me (well, Hawaii and Moloka'i). Daughter of Moloka'i was no different. This is definitely a book you can read on it's own, but if you've read Moloka'i, I would highly suggest this as a companion book to get more details of Rachel's daughter, Ruth and what went on in her life after her birth in Kalaupapa. Just be prepared for some not so light subject matter.
Moloka'i was a book about leprosy and the way it was dealt with in the late 1800's and early 1900's in Hawaii. It was heartbreaking and eye opening for someone that knew a small detail of it such as me. But the obvious research put in for this historical fiction book was astounding. And the story Mr Brennert wove of the families was perfection.
Daughter of Moloka'i is once again full of beauty, pain and heartbreak. It is about family and the way they endure (or gaman) the seemingly unbearable with patience and dignity. That was the common theme all throughout the book. Here Ruth is a 'hapa' (half and half, with her half Japanese and half Hawaiian) and she ends up being raised by a Japanese family. This book concentrates on her Japanese side for the most part since that is how she is raised. She follows along with their beliefs but it always seemed like she was missing half of herself throughout the story. Even when she complained that the hidden half of herself was hindering her, it also proved to be a part of her that others grew to love. Including her 'parents not by blood'.
Daughter of Moloka'i takes us from Honolulu where Ruth was brought and lived with the sisters in an orphanage away from her parents because of leprosy. Fortunately for her, a family found her and wanted only her. A traditional Japanese family of 3 brothers and a mother and father. They were taken from Honolulu to Thorin, California to be with more family. Unfortunately, lies brought them there and they had to endure racism in their small town. Then the bombing of Pearl Harbor happened and that changed Ruth and her family's lives while they had to live in camps. This part I was unfamiliar with. I like reading about history and knowing about things happening during that time but apparently I didn't know what was going on in my very own backyard. Alan Brennert shed some light on my knowledge of this matter and it wasn't so pretty. Better than what was happening in Nazi Germany, but still something you didn't expect to see in America where we are supposed to be free. It was a travesty.
The way this story is told is very real and full of emotions and family. It may be fiction, but these things DID happen to some very real people. It is painful at times but to see families rising up and keeping their sense of honor makes you fight through this story that is beautifully told.
From reading Moloka'i I did feel as if I knew a few things that were going to happen, but honestly that didn't hinder my love and respect for this book and Ruth's story. It was completely different and this book took place mostly in California where Moloka'i was mostly in Hawaii. But the journeys depicted in both were still filled with beauty and pain no matter how you got there. It wasn't always perfect, but the characters and how they handled each situation was respectful and made me want to know them more.
Ruth and Frank and their two children along with her parents are at the very center of this book and I'm glad they took me along on their journey. Even during their times in the camps, you could see a love and bond of family first and foremost and I can't complain with that. The truth in the story is obvious. The research of events is all too real and difficult at times to read. But I'm always brought back to something these people had together. Love. Respect. Family. Wanting something better for those that you love. And the way that was told in this story? Perfection!
It's obvious that Alan has a deep respect for Hawaii and the people that come from there. Ruth's character shows that 100% along with her 'blood mother', Rachel. These characters and their stories are ones that you will want to read, experience and live. The detailed writing brings the places and people to life. It's rich in history, culture and knowledge of the area and it shows. It's a kind of magic you only experience in great writing from someone that understands it.
Settle down and dig in to Ruth's life. She's ready to give you both sides of herself!

"She feels a peace that has eluded her all her life. She is Japanese, she is Hawaiian; she is hapa, and she is whole."

This book drew me and and kept me rooting for the main character, educated me on a piece of American history that I only understood in the slightest of ways, and brought me for a ride through this character's and family's lives. I would highly recommend this book if you want a well written story with characters that have depth and make you feel deeply for what they endure and accomplish.

Evocative tale of the child of leper’s in Hawaii finding a family and building a life, despite the tragedy of the Japanese internment camps during WWII. Ruth’s perseverance is inspiring. Well-written and Intriguing, it draws you in from the beginning. I highly recommend it.

One of my favorite historical fiction books this year!! Alan did an amazing job writing a sequel but also making it a stand alone!! I loved this story and since I didn't read the first one, I will definitely do so!!

This was a very good book and it was very engaging. I loved hearing about their lives and the island. Just hearing about it made wish I apart of the culture and I want to learn as much about it as I can. I felt like I was apart of the story.

I absolutely loved Moloka'i and was so excited to see a sequel to this book. The book however lacked in story and intrigue compared to its predecessor. Though I loved the descriptions of Hawaii and the vividness of the scenery, the plot. Unfortunately I felt the story was very slow and the ending was very predictable.

So many novels these days are written in a back-and-forth format between time periods, so it was refreshing to read a historical novel with a straightforward timeline. I also appreciated having the specific years identified at the beginning of each chapter. It has been several years since I read Rachel's story in Moloka'i, so I was eager to find out what happened to her daughter Ruth. Born to a Japanese father and Hawaiian mother, both of whom had been exiled to the leper colony on the island of Molokai, Ruth ends up in an orphanage where she is finally adopted by a Japanese family. Even as a child, she is puzzled by the fact that she doesn't quite fit in due to her mixed parentage. She is especially troubled when she grows much taller than her Japanese family and schoolmates. After the family moves to California and establishes a new life as farmers, their lives are disrupted by the attack on Pearl Harbor. The government moves the Japanese American citizens into internment camps. It was very sobering to read about the conditions of those camps and this shameful period of our American history. I would advise readers to keep a box of tissues close at hand. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review Daughter of Moloka'i.

Technically, this is a sequel to Moloka'I (published in 2004), which tells the story of Ruth's mother, Rachel but I do think that this could be read as a standalone. There is some carryover/duplication, but I do believe you could read this without having read the first and still enjoy it.

I read Moloka'i years ago, and while I found it to be incredibly emotional and poignant, I don't recall crying while reading it. I cried quite a bit while reading this book. I don't know if it was because I'm now a parent, or if it's because I lost my mother six months ago, but I seem to have been far more emotionally invested than I was while reading the first book. Not that the first book wasn't emotional, maybe I just was able to relate to more now due to my own life experiences..

As a college history major who focused on Germany during WWII, I was aware of the internment of the Japanese here in the US, but I'll admit it's not something I'd done a lot of reading about. This was a fascinating look at the run-up to that unfortunate period of our history and showed how racism and prejudices culminated in tragedy for so many hard-working, law-abiding citizens.

The writing is incredibly descriptive and really made me feel as if I were actually there, experiencing everything along with the characters. As with much historical fiction I read, I tend to get sucked into internet rat holes because I'm drawn to look up people and locations. To me, this is a sign of a good book, because it means I'm INTERESTED in the subject and the author has done a good enough job of making it something I want to learn more about.