Hostetter, Joyce Moyer. Healing Water.
Boyds Mill, 2008, 217p, $17.95, 978-1-59078-514-0.
Historical Fiction
The story takes place in the 1860’s in Hawaii at the Molokai leper colony. When Pia is diagnosed with leprosy and arrives on Molokai he fights for survival with anger and self-reliance. Conditions start to improve when Father Damien comes to the island.
Pia idolizes his older cousin Kameka. He is absolutely crushed when Kameka doesn’t visit him in the hospital or see him off when he is sent to the leper colony on Molokai. Pia survives his early months on self-reliance and pure hatred of everyone. At the colony there is no law, everyone looks out for himself stealing anything they can. Eventually, Pia seeks companionship and shelter with Boki who treats him as a slave. After 4 years, Kameka arrives on Molokai to care for his wife who has leprosy. Pia cannot forgive him and snubs Kameka. After Kameka is attacked and beaten by Boki and his cronies, Pia nurses him back to health and a truce is established.
Then Father Damien comes to the island and begins to make changes. He sees to it that the dead are buried properly, they are given proper funerals, more provisions begin to be sent to care for the patients, and they see love acted out. At the end of the story, Pia finally forgives Kameka
After the story there is a glossary of Hawaiian words used in the story, information on the Hawaiian language, a timeline of the leper colony on Molokai, and a chronology of the life of father Damien. The historical background of the novel is also given.
Excellent story where historical fiction on Hawaii will be used. The reading level is about 6th grade, but the subject matter makes it more suitable for grades 8-12. JT
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