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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good, but romanticized, October 4, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: Damien the Leper (Paperback)
This book tells the story/history of Father Damien of Molokai, a most remarkable man whose indefatigable work in a notorious Hawaiian leper colony gave him the international status of the Mother Theresa of his time. It is well-written, lively, and most readable; but it is also terribly romanticized, Damien IS saintly. Perhaps he was. Readers should take minor note that the main text was published originally in 1937 (according to an older edition of this book that I own).
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12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Loving and giving until it hurts, January 18, 2000
This review is from: Damien the Leper (Paperback)
I have read this book five times and I fully expect to do so once again. It is the true story of a Priest from Belgium who, in the late 1800`s, cheerfully accepted, even demanded an assignment which would cause people of lesser intestinal fortitude to run away: Molokai, a leper colony in Hawaii. His description of the sorry state of the people is enough to make one ill. Yet, through his own unconditional love for his fellow man, took it upon himself, to feed them, cleanse their disgusting wounds, bury the dead with his own hands, cousel them, hear their confessions and prepare them to meet their maker after death. It is a moving tale of a man who totally abandoned himself in favour of his God and his bretheren. This healthy, athletic man knew that by associating with these human outcasts, he would likely fall victim to this dreaded disease and, in fact he did. It would be extremely difficult to imagine any person giving more of himself for the benefit of others. By anyone`s definition, Damien DeVeuster, `Damien The Leper` was a true saint. His story should be required reading for all because it would be sinful to allow the lessons to fade into obscurity. Bless his lily-white soul.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A man as breath-takingly beautiful as the islands themselves ..., September 16, 2009
This review is from: Damien the Leper (Paperback)
I read this book about five years ago and am now reading it a second time. It is more stunning and compelling than I remember. John Farrow brilliantly takes us into the heart, mind and soul of a man who gave all of himself to Christ. It is an adventure on every level, a delight for the senses, as Damien fights his way through the jungles, waterfalls and diseases of the tropics to bring God to the islanders. When he is sent to Molokai, Damien faces evil head-on in every possible way, and he meets it, each time, with other-worldly selflessness and a determination that is completely unstoppable. Few people realize that he was left on the shores of Molokai with nothing but an extra shirt to wear. He had no food, no water, no shelter (he lived under a tree), no helper; and he was faced with the task of caring for 800 lepers who had no doctors, no food supply, no medical supplies, no water supply, no clothing, and who often died from exposure, not leperosy. Mothers resorted to prostitution to win food for their children; many of the lepers spent their time drunk on a sickening liquor they concocted. Damien transformed these people and the island into a place of self-respect and decency. Truly, everyone should read this book if only to see what one person can do with thier life. Of course, Damien dies after several years with "his lepers," but his legacy continues to shine. The Catholic Church will beatify him as a saint in October 2009. Don't miss reading this book -- it will change you.
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