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A review by tonyfrobisher
Ramadan Sky by Nichola Hunter
4.0
A taste of love in the Big Durian
I lived, and taught English in Jakarta in the late 90's and early 2000's. A complex, multi-layered, bewildering and incongruous city full of contrast and contradiction.
Ramadan Sky is a short novella which captures the Indonesian capital in its many faces. The abject poverty and the privilege of status.
As a story, it is an unconventional tale of love and desire set against the cultural, societal and religious norms of Indonesian society. It is a brave story to write, centering on a love triangle between a near 40 year old Australian woman, newly arrived for a teaching post and her ojek (motorcycle taxi) driver. There is much to appreciate in the novel, the depictions of place and the human interactions that give Jakarta its identity, as well as the emotionally charged relationships between the 3 protagonists (Vic, Fajar and his on/off girlfriend Aryanti).
An enjoyable book. Personally, I would liked it to have been a longer narrative and the story further developed, set in this fascinating and intriguing city.
I lived, and taught English in Jakarta in the late 90's and early 2000's. A complex, multi-layered, bewildering and incongruous city full of contrast and contradiction.
Ramadan Sky is a short novella which captures the Indonesian capital in its many faces. The abject poverty and the privilege of status.
As a story, it is an unconventional tale of love and desire set against the cultural, societal and religious norms of Indonesian society. It is a brave story to write, centering on a love triangle between a near 40 year old Australian woman, newly arrived for a teaching post and her ojek (motorcycle taxi) driver. There is much to appreciate in the novel, the depictions of place and the human interactions that give Jakarta its identity, as well as the emotionally charged relationships between the 3 protagonists (Vic, Fajar and his on/off girlfriend Aryanti).
An enjoyable book. Personally, I would liked it to have been a longer narrative and the story further developed, set in this fascinating and intriguing city.