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The Colony
The Colony: The Harrowing True Story of the Exiles of Molokai | John Tayman
7 posts | 8 read | 1 reading | 6 to read
In the bestselling tradition of In the Heart of the Sea, The Colony, an impressively researched (Rocky Mountain News) account of the history of Americas only leper colony located on the Hawaiian island of Molokai, is an utterly engrossing look at a heartbreaking chapter (Booklist) in American history and a moving tale of the extraordinary people who endured it. Beginning in 1866 and continuing for over a century, more than eight thousand people suspected of having leprosy were forcibly exiled to the Hawaiian island of Molokai -- the longest and deadliest instance of medical segregation in American history. Torn from their homes and families, these men, women, and children were loaded into shipboard cattle stalls and abandoned in a lawless place where brutality held sway. Many did not have leprosy, and many who did were not contagious, yet all were ensnared in a shared nightmare. Here, for the first time, John Tayman reveals the complete history of the Molokai settlement and its unforgettable inhabitants. It's an epic of ruthless manhunts, thrilling escapes, bizarre medical experiments, and tragic, irreversible error. Carefully researched and masterfully told, The Colony is a searing tale of individual bravery and extraordinary survival, and stands as a testament to the power of faith, compassion, and the human spirit.
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LibraryCin
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Mehso-so

I found some parts more interesting than others. Some of the biographical info on some of the people who ran the place was not nearly as interesting, I thought, as the patients who were there and the details about their lives (before and) there. The book was quite detailed, and I sometimes did find it plodding. The font was small and it did take a long time to read. Overall, though, I am rating it “good”.

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Purpleness
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38 likes1 stack add
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Purpleness
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Not what I was expecting to learn in this history of Molokai, the Hawaiian leper colony.

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Addison_Reads
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Mehso-so

#ReadingUSA2019 #Hawaii @Librarybelle

Until coming across this book, I had no clue there was a leper colony in Hawaii. Growing up in Louisiana, I knew of the one there, but I'd never heard of Molokai.

I really enjoyed parts of this book, but I feel the author went into too much history involving all the individuals who were in charge of the colony. I wanted to learn more about the people held captive there and less about the people in charge.

Librarybelle An interesting topic! 5y
BarbaraTheBibliophage Try this novel if you want to know patients. 5y
25 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Lindz524
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Lindz524
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Festina lente. Rush slowly.

MrBook Welcome to @Litsy ! Enjoy your stay 😎👍🏻. 8y
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