Scan barcode
A review by zaelle
Rawa by Isa Kamari, R. Krishnan
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.