The Island at the End of Everything

By: Kiran Millwood Hargrave
Location: FIC HAR
Genre: Historical Fiction

Goodreads has this on 4.51 star rating- it is one of the highest I have ever seen. I watched Molokaʻi, a movie about a priest who went to a leper island in Hawii and gave love, respect, care and dignity to its inhabitants. It impacted me a lot- this story is also about such an island.. and butterflies!


There are some places you would not want to go. Even if I told you that we have oceans filled with sea turtles and dolphins, or forests lush with parrots that call through air thick with warmth... Nobody comes here because they want to.
The island of no return.

The Island at the End of Everything is a stunning novel of plucky girls, friendship and brave adventures, just as Ink and Stars was. Amihan was born on Culion, an island colony for people with leprosy, where she has lived all her life with her mother. When the government sends a new administrator to shake things up on Culion, Ami and the other children without leprosy are removed to an orphanage the next island over. Fearing for her mother's safety, Ami sets out to return to Culion together with her new friend, kindly and brave Mariposa. Millwood Hargrave handles both leprosy and life as a disabled person gently and with great respect, even opening up a conversation about person first descriptions of disability - person with leprosy as opposed to "leper". These topics are really important for people to be exposed to and I'm really pleased to see these conversations being approached in Children's literature. - Hux- Goodreads.com

'The Island at the End of Everything' is a truly beautiful read. From the wonder of the butterflies and the island to the torment of the people and what they go through, this novel will captivate you just like it has captured my heart.- Megan- Goodreads