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No Footprints in the Sand - A Memoir of Kalaupapa
When Henry Nalaielua was diagnosed with Hansen's disease in 1936 and taken from his home and family, he began a journey of exile that led him to Kalaupapa, the remote settlement with the tragic history on the Hawaiian island of Molokai. During its century as a virtual prison, more than 8,000 people were exiled to Kalaupapa, until the introduction of sulfone drugs in the 1940s. Today fewer than 30 patients remain. This is Henry's story, an unforgettable memoir of the boy who grew to build a full and joyous life at Kalaupapa, and still calls it home today. No Footprints in the Sand is one of only a few memoirs ever shared with the public by a Kalaupapa patient. Its intimacy and candor make it, in the words of Pulitzer Prize-winning poet W.S. Merwin, a rare and precious human document. Nalaielua's story is an inspiring one; despite exile, physical challenges and the severing of family ties, he has faced life as an artist, musician and historian with courage, honesty, hope and humor.
192 pages, Paperback
First published October 15, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
May 22, 2011
After reading Moloka'i, I searched for others about that time and place. As I mentioned in that review, I wanted to know which was truth and which was fiction. Henry Kalalahilomoku Nalaielua was truth. He appeared in Moloka'i, dressed in some fiction, but he lead a very active life. He was an artist, a musician and a political activist.
Henry was taken to the colony at Moloka'i when he was fifteen. His 70 years there, spanned the time from the complete isolation of leprosy patients through the discovery of sulfa drugs and antibiotics. He was able to travel in his later life, including several trips to Belgium, during which he participated in the beatification of Father Damien and had a relationship with a Belgian woman (one of several love affairs in his life).
Henry was taken to the colony at Moloka'i when he was fifteen. His 70 years there, spanned the time from the complete isolation of leprosy patients through the discovery of sulfa drugs and antibiotics. He was able to travel in his later life, including several trips to Belgium, during which he participated in the beatification of Father Damien and had a relationship with a Belgian woman (one of several love affairs in his life).
September 14, 2017
Great memoir. Henry Nalaielua lived on a sugar plantation on the Big Island until he was 10. Diagnosed with leprosy (now it is preferred to refer to the disease as 'Hansens disease), he was taken from his family and sent to Kalihi Hospital in Oahu; his parents did not tell him why he had to leave them but instead his mother told him that he was going on an adventure. From the hospital, he was sent as a teenager to Kalaupapa on Moloka'i, a quarantined "leper colony." Eventually, with the discovery of sulfa drugs, Nalaielua was able to be paroled but suffered from the disease throughout his life. He lived off and on by choice in Kalaupapa throughout his life. Through all of his suffering, which I won't go through, he still managed to love and live a full life not without its sorrows but nonetheless full of joy. He always stood by his brothers and sisters with Hansens Disease and for decades fought to make their lives better both at Kalaupapa and elsewhere. He lead an interesting life and in spite of his initial forcible detention on Kalaupapa, it became his spiritual home.
There are few autobiographies of those who resided in Kalaupapa. Kalaupapa is now a national park. If you are interested in what life was like for a resident of Hawaii's only leper colony, don't pass this book up.
There are few autobiographies of those who resided in Kalaupapa. Kalaupapa is now a national park. If you are interested in what life was like for a resident of Hawaii's only leper colony, don't pass this book up.
March 19, 2025
An inspiring memoir of a Hawaiian man taken from his home and family at age 10 to be transported to a leper hospital first, then to the infamous Molokai island leper colony.
Despite his illness and family estrangement, he manages to survive and thrive with an amazing positive attitude and can-do spirit. One could only hope to have a similar outlook when faced with adversity.
Some have criticized that Henry paints his experience in too positive a light; I think he sees the world through his own internal lightness of spirit.
We will be visiting Molokai later this year and I am glad to have found this memoir. I also plan to re-read the novel Molokai and possibly its sequel.
Despite his illness and family estrangement, he manages to survive and thrive with an amazing positive attitude and can-do spirit. One could only hope to have a similar outlook when faced with adversity.
Some have criticized that Henry paints his experience in too positive a light; I think he sees the world through his own internal lightness of spirit.
We will be visiting Molokai later this year and I am glad to have found this memoir. I also plan to re-read the novel Molokai and possibly its sequel.
September 16, 2013
I enjoyed this book thoroughly!
It is Henry Nalaielua's story of what it was like to live all but 10 years of his life with Hansen's disease (leprosy). It is also an historical account of Moloka'i Island, Hawaii and the leper colony Kalaupapa established there by the State.
I was aware of society's efforts over the centuries to isolate indiviuals with leprosy. But, I wrongly assumed conditions in these isolated colonies were inhumane. In the case of Kalaupapa, the government provided care, education, employment and medical treatment for all ages of people. Basically, these individuals lived relatively normal lives though separated from their birth families. The residents of Kalaupapa became a family unto themselves.
And the man Henry Nalaielua was delighful and inspiring. Hansen's is a tough disease. Despite the physical disabilities he endured, he lived a life of joy and service to others. Reading about his courage was an inspiration to me.
It is Henry Nalaielua's story of what it was like to live all but 10 years of his life with Hansen's disease (leprosy). It is also an historical account of Moloka'i Island, Hawaii and the leper colony Kalaupapa established there by the State.
I was aware of society's efforts over the centuries to isolate indiviuals with leprosy. But, I wrongly assumed conditions in these isolated colonies were inhumane. In the case of Kalaupapa, the government provided care, education, employment and medical treatment for all ages of people. Basically, these individuals lived relatively normal lives though separated from their birth families. The residents of Kalaupapa became a family unto themselves.
And the man Henry Nalaielua was delighful and inspiring. Hansen's is a tough disease. Despite the physical disabilities he endured, he lived a life of joy and service to others. Reading about his courage was an inspiration to me.
August 3, 2008
Henry Nalaielua's memoir of his life with Hansen's disease is both horrifying and humorous. Henry was separated from his family and exiled to the lepers' colony on Moloka'i as a young boy. He was stubborn and bright. His years in the colony spanned the time when drugs that effectively treated the disease were developed and used. I recommend reading this volume after you read the novel Moloka'i by Alan Brennert. The novel predates the years that Henry was on the island and gives a thorough history of the colony and the treatment Hansen's victims received both medically and socially. Reading the memoir makes you realize how thoroughly Brennert researched the subject and it is worth reading just to get to know Henry. He developed into a humorous, lovable man; a leader in the colony and in the fight to debunk the misconceptions held world-wide about the disease.
November 6, 2010
Very thorough firsthand account of life with Hansen's Disease. I wanted to read this factual book after reading "Moloka'i" - a book of historical fiction by Alan Brennert. He used this book as part of his research.
November 30, 2017
50 States and At Least 50 Authors 2017 Reading Challenge. HAWAII.
Henry Nalaielua was taken from his family when he was 10 years old because he was diagnosed with Hansen's disease (leprosy). He spent years in a hospital in Oahu that was more like a prison than hospital. Then he was transferred to Kalaupapa (Molokai) where he spent most of his life. He did not know until he arrived in Kalaupapa that both of his sisters who had disappeared from the family years ago had also gone there and were now dead. He also discovered a grave of an uncle he had never known about. The most important thing about this book is that it is a true story of one man's experience. I learned a great deal about Hansen's disease and about how those diagnosed with it were treated.
Henry Nalaielua was taken from his family when he was 10 years old because he was diagnosed with Hansen's disease (leprosy). He spent years in a hospital in Oahu that was more like a prison than hospital. Then he was transferred to Kalaupapa (Molokai) where he spent most of his life. He did not know until he arrived in Kalaupapa that both of his sisters who had disappeared from the family years ago had also gone there and were now dead. He also discovered a grave of an uncle he had never known about. The most important thing about this book is that it is a true story of one man's experience. I learned a great deal about Hansen's disease and about how those diagnosed with it were treated.
July 17, 2022
Well written in the perspective of a personal experience. The book captured one mans life and all the emotions of life. We often hear many dreaded stories of Kalaupapa and the people who were banished to the area, this book shed light to show that there were some who had full adventurous life with leprosy.
September 4, 2021
I decided after reading Moloka’i by Alan Brennert that I wanted to read more about the colony in Hawaii for Hansen’s disease. On Brennert’s social media he suggested this book and I’m glad I checked out. What an amazing life Henry had!
March 5, 2025
Within the pages of this book I was introduced to a most remarkable person named Henry Nalaielua. I’ve read many books about people affected by Hensen’s disease but none have compared with this one. l am glad to have found and read this story of resilience.
December 21, 2018
I bought this book after reading the fictional Moloka'i by Alan Brennert. I was deeply touched by the experience of the people. I need to find this book and re-read!
July 6, 2021
I cried so much— knowing that pali, those beaches, that ocean so well— longing for it. Thank you Henry, I never met you but I know many of your friends ♥️
July 24, 2010
For anyone who has ever watched the classic movie Ben Hur, there is this gut-wrenching moment in the film where Ben Hur goes to this rocky canyon to visit his mother and sister, who have been afflicted with leprosy. They have been cast out by society, with only basket deliveries of food being let down into their valley. This scene has stuck with me for a very long time, and I've always thought in the back of my mind, "How did they get sick, and do people get sick like that today?"
The answer to this question is a definite yes, as people continue to be diagnosed with Hansen's disease, or leprosy, as it has been known for centuries. As Henry mentions in his autobiography, leprosy is an inflammatory term that continues to be confusing and frightening to most people. In fact, reading the autobiography caused me to do a bit of a search into the ways one would get "leprosy," and I have to say that even the World Health Organization doesn't seem to be exactly clear on how you actually get the disease. They do seem to know that it's a virus, caught through a bacteria, but not the exact ways in which you actually would pick it up, so you can avoid them. It seems then that the not knowing is the scariest part of the disease, since it can not only shorten one's life with painful disorders, but also marginalize them in any community. The good news today is that there are medications that can dramatically improve the lives of those with Hansen's disease.
Henry Nalaielua's autobiography was a captivating read, and one that I could hardly put down at night. In the partial pidgin voice of Henry, himself, the story develops in a straight-forward sort of way that showed his bright personality, and positive outlook. You couldn't help but love Henry right away. As a young boy on the Big Island, Henry contracted Hansen's disease and was sent away from his family to Honolulu to the hospital, and later to the leper colony at Kalaupapa on Molokai. This famous colony was established by the famous Catholic Father Damien, who also fell to the disease there. Throughout his life, Henry seemed to not let his disease keep him from having a life of his own. He held multiple jobs, married twice, had two daughters, and traveled to many places in the United States and around the world as he worked to improve his own health, and to forward the education of others on the disease that affected so many.
This autobiography is full of heart, culture, and spirit. The life that Henry led is amazing, and I found everything about him intriguing. There is a good amount of Hawaiian culture and spirit in the entire story, and Henry really captured the spirit of the people in the islands. His drive and endeavor to live his life and take it for what it was, without too much self-indulgent pity was inspiring to me. From his early experience as a young boy paraded in front of doctors to show the stage of his disease, to his later life traveling to Father Damien's later beatification as a representative of Kalaupapa, all made for a most amazing and interesting life story.
This autobiography is short, less than 200 pages, but full of heart and substance. The bulk of the text bounces from standard English to pidgin, reflecting Henry's voice and that of his writer. Although casual and informal in its presentation, I found No Footprints in the Sand to be a captivating read that has me searching out additional books about Kalaupapa, Hansen's disease, and the amazing Hawaiian culture.
The answer to this question is a definite yes, as people continue to be diagnosed with Hansen's disease, or leprosy, as it has been known for centuries. As Henry mentions in his autobiography, leprosy is an inflammatory term that continues to be confusing and frightening to most people. In fact, reading the autobiography caused me to do a bit of a search into the ways one would get "leprosy," and I have to say that even the World Health Organization doesn't seem to be exactly clear on how you actually get the disease. They do seem to know that it's a virus, caught through a bacteria, but not the exact ways in which you actually would pick it up, so you can avoid them. It seems then that the not knowing is the scariest part of the disease, since it can not only shorten one's life with painful disorders, but also marginalize them in any community. The good news today is that there are medications that can dramatically improve the lives of those with Hansen's disease.
Henry Nalaielua's autobiography was a captivating read, and one that I could hardly put down at night. In the partial pidgin voice of Henry, himself, the story develops in a straight-forward sort of way that showed his bright personality, and positive outlook. You couldn't help but love Henry right away. As a young boy on the Big Island, Henry contracted Hansen's disease and was sent away from his family to Honolulu to the hospital, and later to the leper colony at Kalaupapa on Molokai. This famous colony was established by the famous Catholic Father Damien, who also fell to the disease there. Throughout his life, Henry seemed to not let his disease keep him from having a life of his own. He held multiple jobs, married twice, had two daughters, and traveled to many places in the United States and around the world as he worked to improve his own health, and to forward the education of others on the disease that affected so many.
This autobiography is full of heart, culture, and spirit. The life that Henry led is amazing, and I found everything about him intriguing. There is a good amount of Hawaiian culture and spirit in the entire story, and Henry really captured the spirit of the people in the islands. His drive and endeavor to live his life and take it for what it was, without too much self-indulgent pity was inspiring to me. From his early experience as a young boy paraded in front of doctors to show the stage of his disease, to his later life traveling to Father Damien's later beatification as a representative of Kalaupapa, all made for a most amazing and interesting life story.
This autobiography is short, less than 200 pages, but full of heart and substance. The bulk of the text bounces from standard English to pidgin, reflecting Henry's voice and that of his writer. Although casual and informal in its presentation, I found No Footprints in the Sand to be a captivating read that has me searching out additional books about Kalaupapa, Hansen's disease, and the amazing Hawaiian culture.
September 22, 2020
A memoir from one of Kalaupapa’s last remaining Hansen’s disease patients. From his diagnosis to the removal from his family to quarantine in Honolulu and eventually Kalaupapa at a young age, to life and community in the settlement itself—Henry lived a remarkable and unusual life filled with physical and emotional suffering as well as happiness and love. A unique perspective on a complicated piece of America’s past.
September 30, 2013
Henry Nalaielua was a child when he was first diagnosed with Hansenʻs disease, removed from his home a family on Bigi Island and sent to Oʻahu then later he was transferred to Kalaupapa. This memoir tells of his life in and out of treatment, on Molokai, Big Island, Oʻaahu and mainland, his loves, hopes, dreams and the reality of living with Hansenʻs disease. Inspiring, unsentimental this memoir presents a unique and vital man who refused to be defined by a disease, in spite of the horrendous conditions he endured early in his life as a result of the current practices and treatment methods of the time.
October 29, 2014
I read this book many years ago and it touched me so much. I knew that one day I would need to visit the island of Molokai to see this place. On October 16, 2014 my husband and I visited Kalapapa. We rode mules down to the leper colony and spent the day there. As we toured the area I remembered so much from this book and just found it such a wonderful experience. On the heals of the current Ebola outbreak, consider reading this book just to get an idea of what it feels like to be afflicted with a disease that people are afraid of and unaware of the real factoids.
March 15, 2013
While I enjoyed the first hand account of Henry's experience I found myself wishing that the book had been better written. However, once I read the epilogue the story's structure made much more sense. Henry would write his story, his friend would type it, and then finally the author would rewrite it and finally she weaved it together to complete the memoir. I would suggest it to read if you have interest in first hand account of the life on Kalaupapa
April 20, 2011
No Footprints in the Sand effectively illustrates just how much Hanson’s disease separated families, ruined lives, and impacted early Hawaiian society...We are lucky to have him share his life story in this book so that future generations never forget the people of Kalaupapa.
Read more:
http://www.hawaiibookblog.com/article...
Read more:
http://www.hawaiibookblog.com/article...
February 13, 2017
2017 Reading Challenge: A book you bought on a trip. Purchased this book on a trip to visit the Kalaupapa Leprosy Settlement on Molokai, Hawaii, where patients with Hansen's Disease (leprosy) where sent to live between 1866 and 1969, and where a handful of patients still live (7/26/2016). February Reading Challenge #1 - A book starting with the letter "N".
June 20, 2010
This is very interesting account of a person's life in Kalaupapa on the island of Moloka`i. One keeps wondering what is going to happen next to this person as if Hanson's disease isn't bad enough. What is really inspiring is that he overcomes the bumps in his road!!
March 27, 2011
well, technically i didn't finish it, as the kindle file was missing sections of the book and when i complained they refunded me and removed the book from the device. but what i read was great. very informative.
January 28, 2009
I learned so much about Hansen's disease, about living, about writing, about an indomitable human spirit. This book was a gift from a friend and what a gift is was!
July 24, 2010
Very poorly written, but amazing account of a Hansen's patient's life
from Hawaii, to Carville, LA and around the world.
from Hawaii, to Carville, LA and around the world.
August 16, 2011
Great insight into the life of someone who lived in Kalaupapa and endured the disease of leprosy (Hanson's disease)
August 9, 2013
Having lived in Hawaii and loved studying all things about Molokai and Kalaupapa I enjoyed this first hand account of a lifetime of living there.
January 25, 2014
first hand account true story of life in Kalaupapa! great story! please read if you are interested in learning about the patients of Kalaupapa.
February 28, 2015
Like others I read Moloka'i first and then stumbled on this book looking for more "story talk". A good history of a good man. I am glad Henry did not let the disease take his life away.
April 16, 2015
I possibly met him on Moloka'i several years ago. Enjoyed his story.
January 30, 2012
ive always been intrigued by moloka'i and stumbled across this book. I loved it, beginningbto end
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews