The year, 1946. The place, Maui. Thirteen-year-old George Kahula's carefree life is ruined when his best friend is arrested as a leper and deported to Kalaupapa. Now the authorities are looking for George. He runs from the police and sneaks home only to find his grandparents missing. George realizes his only hope is to get to the neighboring island of Molokai and find his birth parents. But can he do it without drawing the attention of the authorities? It won't be easy. He's penniless, alone, and there's no one he can trust. George's determination to find a place where he belongs will change his life forever. ESCAPE TO MOLOKAI is a middle grade novel about a time in recent history that shattered the lives of those forced to experience the devastating effects of Hansen's Disease, more commonly known as leprosy. In Hawaii, more than 7,000 people died at Kalaupapa before a cure was discovered in 1946.