by Benjamin Kingsbury. Published by Bridget Williams Books, 2019. Reviewed by Margaret Gilroy Johnson

Benjamin Kingsbury’s meticulously researched The Dark Island tells the story of leprosy in New Zealand and how the disease was managed from 1906 to 1925. Sufferers were shepherded into quarantine on Quail Island in Lyttelton Harbour, isolated, shunned and shamed — sometimes for the rest of their lives. There was a great fear of leprosy at the time because it was infectious and incurable. The book tells the story of the men sufferers, their personalities and their lives on the island. It details their abysmal living conditions, their lack of amenities and the feuds among the support staff.

I finished this book when Coronavirus hit the headlines and the mass quarantine of people began. The amenities offered present day sufferers are in stark contrast to the lack of humanity shown the exiled patients on Quail Island. Winter on Quail Island was brutal for the sick, often bedridden, men. In the early days they had no nursing staff. The standout character was Dr Upham who visited each week to administer treatments, dress the wounds and provide human contact. He battled the Health Department unceasingly for better conditions for his patients.

This book detailing a slice of New Zealand history is well worth reading.

Tui Motu Magazine. Issue 246 March 2020: 28