A coming of age story set in pre-revolution Indonesia, this novel captures the oral rhythms of a master storyteller. Its protagonist is a native high school student, educated at the exclusive Dutch-language school and of royal Javanese birth. It depicts the dizzying, arcane caste system of colonial Indonesia -- and the idealism of one boy who sets out to find his own way. Based on the real life of a political activist and journalist, the story continues in three more volumes, all recently published in paperback.  (INS04, $15.00)

Indonesia