The Colony: The Harrowing True Story of the Exiles of Molokai

by John Tayman

Book Overview

In the bestselling tradition of In the Heart of the Sea , The Colony , "an impressively researched" ( Rocky Mountain News ) account of the history of America's only leper colony located on the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 074323300X
• ISBN13: 9780743233002
• Release Date: January 2006
• Publisher: Scribner Book Company
• Length: 421 Pages
• Weight: 1.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 5.9" x 8.7"

Customer Reviews

Well researched....Riveting chronicle

I have a personal interest in the leper colony at Molokai as Donald Walsh, one of its early superintendents, was a brother of my great-grandfather. Unlike previous histories which gloss over Walsh's contributions, The Colony gives him due credit for establishing a school, improving residences, and planning for a hospital. Regrettably, Walsh died before he could complete all of his plans, and the settlement reverted to disarray until the saintly Father Damien came along. Superbly researched and highly readable, The Colony concludes with biographical sketches of several current residents. A riveting chronicle of human suffering from beginning to end! --Review by William Schmidt

The Human Toll Of Ignorance

Much like the early years of the AIDS epidemic, leprosy had created a fear of the unknown and brought out the worst of human nature. Supported by Biblical injunctions (like the ones that supported slavery), bigots would hunt down and exile those with leprosy as if they were sin incarnate instead of a person infected with a disease. Image isolating for life someone with migraines merely for having migraines -- there was no court of appeals, just a prison for life because they were ill. America's role in this inhumane madness came after the American occupation of the Hawaiian Islands in 1893. The island of Molokai was already the site for exiled lepers on an isolated sliver of land for nearly three decades. American policy was one of neglect and of allowing "The Colony" to exist until 1969 -- a quarter century after safe medical treatment was devised. The history of "The Colony" on Molokai will make the reader angry and ashamed of how the lepers were condemned, exiled, cut off from the world as if they were subhuman. Mr. Tayman graphically describes the cost that the lepers paid in being ostracized by society and the painful suffering endured by them with minimal medical care, shelter and food. James Michener described the leper colony in his sprawling historical epic novel "Hawaii"-1959. "The Colony" is not an easy book to read but it is a book worth reading.

Inspiring!

An extraordinary story of the unfortunate men and women who were torn from their families and homes, and then banished to the leper colony at Molokai. I came away with immense awe and respect for each and every patient forced to endure this terrifying exile. It's a harrowing tale, but the author uses historical perspective, detail, and even humor to tell it. The book also highlights the courage and resilience of these people. Highly recommended.

An Amazing Chapter of History

I've flown over Molokai a lot, and heard a little about the people down there, but I never knew the history of the place and the people was as incredible as it is. (I usually read business books.) So credit the Colony for letting me in on an unknown chapter in American history. That the author made it as compelling and inspiring to read is to his credit. The stories of these people will stay with me for a very long time. Anyone mulling a trip to Hawaii should grab this book-and if you already live here, you absolutely should read this.

Spellbinding!

At last, a showcase of John Tayman's considerable investigative skills. For those of us that have followed his career and wanted more, Tayman delivers in his first book a story so compelling and richly reported that the reader is gripped from beginning to end. Tayman relates the drama of the only leper colony to ever exist on American soil and respectfully reports the personal histories of those who passed through its gates and, in some cases, still remain. A non-fiction Lord of the Flies with the stage of isolation set by the US Government. He captures this dark period in medical and American history with a story that both reminds us of the ignorance of medieval healing and horrifies us with the knowledge that the colony continued to exist up through the time of America's race to the moon. A wonderfully written narrative for readers who appreciate historically significant stories, or for those who just want a riveting page turner.