First published 1991
Maggie works as an anthropologist in Indonesia during Sukarno's turbulent presidency. She has grown to love this complex nation and its people deeply, perhaps more than is wise for an outsider. The country seethes with corruption and political scheming. Different factions clash while the government struggles to maintain control. Violence threatens to erupt at any moment as Indonesia teeters toward complete disorder. Maggie finds herself caught between her professional detachment and her emotional investment in Indonesia's fate. Her feelings for the land and its inhabitants pull her deeper into dangerous territory. The political upheaval that surrounds her makes every relationship suspect and every alliance fragile. As tensions escalate and the country slides closer to anarchy, Maggie must navigate not only the treacherous political landscape but also her own conflicted heart. Her story becomes one of passionate love tested against a backdrop of a nation destroying itself from within.
Genres: 20th-century, adventure, anthropology, academic
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, fish-out-of-water
Setting: Indonesia
Period: Sukarno's Presidency
620 pages · Hardcover · Random House Value Publishing
Content warnings: violence