Two Josephs on Molokai: Damien and Dutton

by Howard E. Crouch

Father Damien once confided in Brother Joseph Dutton, “Since you arrived, I have talked and revealed more of myself than in all the years since I came to Molokai. I am convinced God sent you to be my companion.” A poignant story that will be told forever. It portrays how they found the most precious gift of all — friendship. In a forthright manner, it relates Father Damien’s driving and stalwart efforts to fight the horrors facing the captive outcasts with leprosy and Brother Dutton’s quiet, dependable support. You’ll follow Father Damien through his tribulations and successes. It won’t be difficult to imagine you are there in Hawaii by his side.

324 pages, Hardcover

First published September 24, 1998

Reviews

[Katie Lou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple, easy to understand writing style. Lovely story. Novelized account of true story of Joseph Dutton offering himself as a helper to Saint Damian of Molokai in service of the leper colony in Hawaii in the late 19th century.

Author paints a nice backdrop to the story with descriptions of the climate, scenery, geography and history that are charming and informative. The lives of these two heroic men are told simply, but leave the reader with a deep feeling of their motivation and friendship.

At first, I thought the simplistic writing style would turn me away from reading this, about 30-40 pages in, I was hooked. Published in 1998 by the Damien-Dutton Society for Leprosy Aid, Inc., this hardcover 324 page book has wonderfully clear typeset and is a joy to read. Includes an interesting 10-page Leprosy Update review at the end which provides a look at modern research and statistics.

[Paige Kilian · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5