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A review by jenbsbooks
Daughter of Moloka'i by Alan Brennert
5.0
I'd read the first book, Moloka'i back in August, and I liked it ... but didn't feel compelled to continue on. This hadn't been intended as a series, and this book was written years after the first, and is more of a companion, than a continuation. Much of the story is happening in tandem with Moloka'i, and some of the final scenes there, are repeated here, then expanded. Honestly, I didn't really remember a ton from the first story, and that was okay.
I had this in all three formats. I'd picked up a physical copy (thrift store or library sale, for my Little Free Library) and that brought it back to my TBR. I borrowed the audio and Kindle copy from the library (Libby, but also on Hoopla) and went primarily with the audio. Here, I think the audio added to the ambience with the accents, better than my imagination would have. I like having the Kindle copy for reference, and I pulled it up several times to make notes/highlights, look up words, and check out the extras ...
One of the things that pushed this to a 5* for me, was the extras. There was a map, and photographs (by Ansel Adams), a Q&A with the author that was super interesting, extensive author's notes with a lot of additional information (clarifying some of the factual events/people), discussion questions. It really added to the whole experience.
Per the "conversation with the author" ... this had "a perfect three-act structure to Ruth’s life: her childhood in Honolulu and California; her internment during World War II; and the final third of the novel, Ruth’s meeting with Rachel and her 22-year relationship with her birth mother" and it was divided into three parts, with chronological chapters running throughout.
This really brought to life the experience of the Japanese, forced to leave their homes and move to internment camps. I had read "They Called Us Enemy" (hadn't realized it was a graphic novel when I downloaded it) ... but it had presented this situation very well also. I think this part of the story was the most heavily "historical" part, where lessons on history and life, could be learned. There could be many interesting discussion topics on this, comparisons to the Jews in Germany, to Muslims in America after 9-11, to views on immigrants today.
Another recent read of mine was [book:The Other Family Doctor: A Veterinarian Explores What Animals Can Teach Us About Love, Life, and Mortality|61327479] - stories from a vet. Here, Ruth has a strong love/connection to animals, and wanted to become a vet, but that path wasn't open to her at this time in history. There was a strong focus on animals and the part they play in lives ... and a satisfying circle in the storyline (I don't think it's much of a spoiler to say Ruth's daughter becomes a veterinarian).
It would have been interesting to read the books back-to-back, to see if perhaps some portions might have been too repetitive, or if the overlap wasn't that much. Honestly, I don't remember more than the basics of the Rachel/Ruth reunion in the first book.
There were two uses of proFanity - other words I noted (either I had to look up the meaning/unfamiliar, or just not as common, enough that I highlighted them) ... swath (this was the Wordle word and my son had just asked me what it meant, when bam, there it was in my book!), caromed, quiescent, susurrus (love this one), bellicose, kayoed (I thought it would be KO-ed, knocked out) ... in the author's notes; indefatigable (love it!) and canard (hadn't heard that before).
I had this in all three formats. I'd picked up a physical copy (thrift store or library sale, for my Little Free Library) and that brought it back to my TBR. I borrowed the audio and Kindle copy from the library (Libby, but also on Hoopla) and went primarily with the audio. Here, I think the audio added to the ambience with the accents, better than my imagination would have. I like having the Kindle copy for reference, and I pulled it up several times to make notes/highlights, look up words, and check out the extras ...
One of the things that pushed this to a 5* for me, was the extras. There was a map, and photographs (by Ansel Adams), a Q&A with the author that was super interesting, extensive author's notes with a lot of additional information (clarifying some of the factual events/people), discussion questions. It really added to the whole experience.
Per the "conversation with the author" ... this had "a perfect three-act structure to Ruth’s life: her childhood in Honolulu and California; her internment during World War II; and the final third of the novel, Ruth’s meeting with Rachel and her 22-year relationship with her birth mother" and it was divided into three parts, with chronological chapters running throughout.
This really brought to life the experience of the Japanese, forced to leave their homes and move to internment camps. I had read "They Called Us Enemy" (hadn't realized it was a graphic novel when I downloaded it) ... but it had presented this situation very well also. I think this part of the story was the most heavily "historical" part, where lessons on history and life, could be learned. There could be many interesting discussion topics on this, comparisons to the Jews in Germany, to Muslims in America after 9-11, to views on immigrants today.
Another recent read of mine was [book:The Other Family Doctor: A Veterinarian Explores What Animals Can Teach Us About Love, Life, and Mortality|61327479] - stories from a vet. Here, Ruth has a strong love/connection to animals, and wanted to become a vet, but that path wasn't open to her at this time in history. There was a strong focus on animals and the part they play in lives ... and a satisfying circle in the storyline (I don't think it's much of a spoiler to say Ruth's daughter becomes a veterinarian).
It would have been interesting to read the books back-to-back, to see if perhaps some portions might have been too repetitive, or if the overlap wasn't that much. Honestly, I don't remember more than the basics of the Rachel/Ruth reunion in the first book.
There were two uses of proFanity - other words I noted (either I had to look up the meaning/unfamiliar, or just not as common, enough that I highlighted them) ... swath (this was the Wordle word and my son had just asked me what it meant, when bam, there it was in my book!), caromed, quiescent, susurrus (love this one), bellicose, kayoed (I thought it would be KO-ed, knocked out) ... in the author's notes; indefatigable (love it!) and canard (hadn't heard that before).