"A spectacular achievement and one of the very best travel books I have read." —Simon Winchester, Wall Street Journal
Declaring independence in 1945, Indonesia said it would "work out the details of the transfer of power etc. as soon as possible." With over 300 ethnic groups spread across over 13,500 islands, the world's fourth most populous nation has been working on that "etc." ever since. Author Elizabeth Pisani traveled 26,000 miles in search of the links that bind this disparate nation.
May 1, 2014
An elucidating journey through the myriad-island republic.Journalist and epidemiologist Pisani (The Wisdom of Whores: Bureaucrats, Brothels and the Business of AIDS, 2008) took a year to trek among the archipelago nation she grew to admire more than 20 years before, when she posted there as a reporter for Reuters news agency. Branching out from the dominant island of Java, home to 60 percent of all Indonesians, and its modern capital of Jakarta, the author found among numerous smaller and less visited islands-as there are nearly 13,500 islands containing over 360 ethnic groups, by her estimate, she could only visit a fraction-a richness and diversity. She discovered much that was "friendly" but "schizophrenic," "shambolic" and "unpredictable," a vying for modernity and traditional values with plenty of elements still being figured out. Declared independent in 1945, after the defeat of the Japanese occupiers, and before that, the deeply resented Dutch, whose merchants had exploited for centuries the rich spices (cloves, nutmeg) and pearls along the archipelago, Indonesia is a nation cobbled together by the long tradition of trading, by the lingua franca of Malay, and by the astute charisma and nationalist philosophy of its founding leader, Sukarno. As a woman traveling solo, Pisani encountered some frustrating questions from villagers-e.g., why she didn't have children-but she was usually embraced by the familial hospitality of the people she met. She unearths interesting material about the surprising, delightful and frequently bewildering spectacle of adat-a prideful tradition-which encompasses obligations, spirituality and poverty. Speaking the language and living among the villagers helped Pisani navigate this delicate system of barter and honor. She finds Indonesia gaining democratic agency after a troubling history of authoritarianism, separatist movements, the tsunami of 2004, a mismanagement of natural resources and an urgently needed bolstering of the education system.A brave, lively writer opens up a wondrous, changing nation.
COPYRIGHT(2014) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
May 15, 2014
Pisani first came to Indonesia as a journalist and later as an epidemiologist specializing in HIV, living there at various times during a 25-year period. Charmed by Indonesia's idiosyncrasies, contradictions, enigmas, disappointments, and seductions, she garnered the impression that the nation is one giant Bad Boyfriend. Indonesia is a string of more than 13,000 islands inhabited by people of more than 360 ethnic groups who speak more than 700 languagesa cobbling together of peoples and cultures that is a result of colonization by the Dutch and occupation by the Japanese. Pisani (The Wisdom of Whores, 2008) spent a year randomly traveling 26,000 miles around the archipelago, visiting the capital, Jakarta, as well as jungles and small villages to talk to farmers, politicians, priests, fishermen, teachers, soldiers, nurses, and others to capture the heart and soul of Indonesia. She encountered child brides, witnessed young men jousting with javelins, sipped tea at a funeral, and spotted satellite dishes on the grass roofs of bamboo huts. An intimate, fascinating look at the world's fourth most populous nation, one working to define itself in a modernizing world.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)
Starred review from August 1, 2014
Traveling 26,000 miles around any country is not for the faint of heart, but that's exactly what Pisani does in the island nation of Indonesia. For over a year, starting in late 2011, Pisani (former journalist, HIV epidemiologist, TED2010 speaker, public health consultant, and visitor to Indonesia for over 20 years) journeys via airplane, boat, bus, and motorbike from one end of the archipelago to the other (visiting 26 of its 33 provinces), seeing old friends and meeting a huge cast of intriguing characters along the way. What makes this book so wonderful is that the author does not sugarcoat her experiences. She tells it like it is, from the kindness of Indonesians toward a Western woman traveling alone (yes, she accepts rides and places to sleep from strangers) to the widespread forms of corruption and patronage (there is a huge difference between the two). More than an adventure story, this engaging title gives readers a glimpse of the extreme changes taking place in a country with a very large and very diverse population. VERDICT A one-of-a-kind, fun journey around a country that's typically overlooked by the West. Travel and Asian history/culture readers will thoroughly enjoy this book.--Melissa Aho, Univ. of Minnesota Bio-Medical Lib., Minneapolis
Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
November 1, 2014
Pisani first came to Indonesia as a foreign correspondent, then later returned as an epidemiologist specializing in HIV. With over 300 ethnic groups spread across 13,500 islands, Indonesia is the world's fourth most populated nation. Visiting jungles and small villages, the author profiles many people during her travels. Readers will learn that Jakarta tweets more than any other city on Earth and that 80 million people there live without electricity. (LJ 8/14)
Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.