THE COLONY: The Harrowing True Story of the Exiles of Molokai

Tayman, John

ISBN 10: 074323300X / ISBN 13: 9780743233002

Published by Scribner, New York, 2006

About this Item

First edition, first printing, hardcover. 421 pages. Fine in a near fine, mylar-covered dust jacket with a small chip missing from top corner of front panel. THE COLONY reveals the untold history of the infamous American leprosy settlement on the Hawaiian island of Molokai and of the exceptional people who managed to survive under the most horific circumstances. Seller Inventory # 009454

Bibliographic Details

Title: THE COLONY: The Harrowing True Story of the ...

Publisher: Scribner, New York

Publication Date: 2006

Binding: Hardcover

Condition: Near Fine

Dust Jacket Condition: Fine

Edition: First Edition

About this title

Synopsis:

In the bestselling tradition of "In the Heart of the Sea," "The Colony" reveals the untold history of the infamous American leprosy colony on Molokai and of the extraordinary people who struggled to survive under the most horrific circumstances. In 1866, twelve men and women and one small child were forced aboard a leaky schooner and cast away to a natural prison on the Hawaiian island of Molokai. Two weeks later, a dozen others were exiled, and then forty more, and then a hundred more. Tracked by bounty hunters and torn screaming from their families, the luckless were loaded into shipboard cattle stalls and abandoned in a lawless place where brutality held sway. Many did not have leprosy, and most of those who did were not contagious, yet all were caught in a shared nightmare. The colony had little food, little medicine, and very little hope. Exile continued for more than a century, the longest and deadliest instance of medical segregation in American history. Nearly nine thousand people were banished to the colony, trapped by pounding surf and armed guards and the highest sea cliffs in the world. Twenty-eight live there still. John Tayman tells the fantastic saga of this horrible and hopeful place -- at one time the most famous community in the world -- and of the individuals involved. From the very first exile -- a gentle part-time lawyer trapped in an unjust ordeal beyond his imagination -- to the last remaining residents, the narrative is peopled by presidents and kings, cruel lawmen and pioneering doctors, and brave souls who literally gave their lives to help. A stunning cast includes the martyred Father Damien, Robert Louis Stevenson, Jack London, Mark Twain, Teddy Roosevelt, John Wayne, and more. The result is a searing tale of survival and bravery, and a testament to the power of faith, compassion, and heroism.

About the Author:

John Tayman is the former deputy editor of Outside magazine. He has been editor-at-large for Men's Journal, executive editor of New England Monthly and contributing editor to Life, GQ, People, Men's Health, and Business 2.0.