Details
Synopsis
The ravages of Hansen's disease (leprosy) are devastating and horrific in their own right--blindness, a loss of all nerve feeling, the deterioration of hands and feet--but perhaps even more terrible is society's dismal treatment of those inflicted. Since the time of the Bible (and before) lepers have been treated as pariahs and sinners, even though the disease is not highly infectious at all. In THE COLONY, Outside Magazine editor John Tayman recounts how thousands of leprosy patients were stripped of their rights and belongings and forced to live in quarantine on Hawaii's remote Molokai island. Tayman's research is meticulous and fascinating, but where his novel truly excels is in capturing the human struggle to maintain dignity in the face of both physical debilitation and social excoriation. In the final sections, Tayman profiles the last three living inhabitants of the leper colonies, and provides a moving insight into people who have, at long last, begun to receive the respect and admiration they deserve.
| Size | | Length: | 421 pages | | Height: | 9.5 in | | Width: | 6.5 in | | Thickness: | 1.5 in | | Weight: | 23.2 oz |
Industry Reviews
"[John] Tayman's narrative pulls the reader beyond the superficial, medical horrors of leprosy to the more devastating human horrors that lie beneath. In doing so, he has brought to light the profound dignity of his subjects....[His] noble account makes you want to stand and applaud. It makes you want to walk up to these people and shake their hands."
(01/22/2006)
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