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lilywasalittlegirl's review
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
A South east asian historical fiction. A good introduction to Orang Seletar. The theme on sense of belonging and pride.
zaelle's review
4.0
A heartfelt read about Rawa, an Orang Seletar (an indigenous nomadic boat people native to Singapore), and the changes his people experienced from the 40s to 90s. Overall it's a story about the Orang Seletar losing their way of life - forced to leave their houseboats to settle on land, then forced to keep up with the demands and ambitions of land living, or be left behind. We see Rawa's memories (through the positive haze of nostalgia) of living a free life on his houseboat, untethered to specific laws or nation, how he falls in love and how he come to terms with the world his grandson is born into. The river he grew up with no longer exists - it is now a reservoir - and he has a lifelong quest that he has never been able to fulfill.
Overall this is a story about change and people being left behind, not just by capitalism but by the changing politics of identity. People being separated or their original identities erased for political convenience, and the unnecessary conflicts that follow.
It's also a story about family and friendships. I still wish I understood more about Ayong (Rawa's best friend from childhood), but I suppose like life, you can't have the answer to everything.
Overall this is a story about change and people being left behind, not just by capitalism but by the changing politics of identity. People being separated or their original identities erased for political convenience, and the unnecessary conflicts that follow.
It's also a story about family and friendships. I still wish I understood more about Ayong (Rawa's best friend from childhood), but I suppose like life, you can't have the answer to everything.
sannereadstheworld's review
1.0
I started reading this, because the cover promised a story about the orang seletar, an ethnic group living as sea nomads in the straits of what is now Singapore. That sounded like a wonderful and unusual subject. While the story of Rawa, the main character, isn't written in the most literary prose, the story was interesting enough to keep me going until half-way in the book. At that point, the author starts with some political exposé literally out of nowhere. That was so off-putting, I put the book down. I don't read fiction to get to an opinion piece about politics.
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