Hello dear ones. Summer is winding down here, and I want to share a summer read with you that I could not put down. Of course, book sharing would not be the same without a tea pairing. So turn on the kettle and settle in for a spell.
This book comes highly acclaimed from my cousin Michelle, whose taste in books I respect immensely. Moloka’i by Alan Brennert tells the fictional story of seven-year-old Rachel Kalama. The book opens in 1891 in Old Honolulu, where Rachel is your average, curious young girl. The opening line drew me in like a moth to the flame: “Later, when memory was all she had to sustain her, she would come to cherish it: Old Honolulu as it was then, as it would never be again.”
Rachel’s life changes forever when she develops a small rose-colored mark on her skin – the telltale sign of leprosy (Hansen’s disease). The book chronicles her journey as she moves from her family home in Honolulu to the quarantined leprosy settlement of Kalaupapa on the island of Moloka’i. The book stays with Rachel for the remainder of her long life. Moloka’i is a compelling read, with moments of hope and joy, and moments of heartbreak and sadness. I shed a few tears while reading this book. I really really want you to read this book, so I will stop there with the book details.
What am I drinking? I’m sipping peach turmeric herbal tea, courtesy of my mom who brought it back from a girls’ weekend at Rehoboth Beach. It’s from The Spice & Tea Exchange. It is a beautiful loose tea. Look at its brightness and texture! All of that color and texture is coconut flakes, turmeric, and rooibos, among other ingredients. Its aroma is creamy and peachy. Thanks to the turmeric, the tea is almost mustard yellow in color once brewed. I like this tea. Its flavor is light with a subtle sweetness. (I did not add any sweetener.) I’m drinking this hot, but it would be great iced.
Back to the book and its mini history lesson… Rachel’s story is fictional, but Kalaupapa is a real place where people were sent because they had Hansen’s disease. Moloka’i chronicles the very real lives of the people who were sent to the island, often never returning home to their families. Kalaupapa became their home, and not necessarily in a feel-good kind of way.
In December 1980, the Kalaupapa peninsula was designated a National Historical Park, and its residents were allowed to remain there for as long as they wished. Many chose to stay at Kalaupapa even after medical advancements proved that Hansen’s disease was not as contagious as originally thought and resulted in effective treatments. The book explores some of these reasons.
I love when history and fiction merge into a good story. It gives the reader a highly personal perspective of a time in history. That was this book for me. Michelle recommended this book, saying it is one of her favorites. It is now one of mine too.
What did you read this summer?
Until next time!
-Andie