From the back cover:

"in the hustle and bustle of sixties Indonesia, two orphaned brothers are adopted by very different families: Johan, by a wealthy Malaysian couple living in Kuala Lumpur, and Adam, by a Dutch painter, Karl, from a simple coastal town in Indonesia. As they grow up, Adam often wonders about his older brother, while Johan is wracked with guilt at the memory of leaving him.

In Indonesia itself, the shadow of colonialism is causing civil unrest; and foreigners are treated with increasing hostility, especially the Dutch. When Karl is arrested, Adam vows to do everything he can to find him.

This extraordinary tale perfectly captures the turmoil of a country teetering on the brink of war; and the experiences of two young men in an exotic yet turbulent and often frightening world"

I have read this book for my book club here in Brussels.

I would probably not have been a book that would have caught my attention otherwise. The story is very interesting but the writing itself did not fully convince me: too many flashbacks and jumps from one scene to another. In addition, I feel that the story of Johan is not as developed as it should be.

The book has been sent (very late, admittedly, but this was just because I am a bit sick and have had to travel back and forth between Belgium where I live and Spain, where I come from, to get the medical treatment) to my birthday buddy Chawoso.

I hope you enjoy the book, as your shelf is mainly in German, I am a bit worried about what your tastes might be... But hope you like the book!

Muchas gracias! It sounds interesting ...

Malaysia, taipeh, China

... on its way to UK

Happy reading!

It's arrived safely with me, thank you!