SEABIRD

A daughter of Javanese nobility fights colonial oppression and the subjugation of girls in this work inspired by the life of Raden Adjeng Kartini (1879-1904).

At 12, Kartini begins living in pingit, the traditional home seclusion imposed on Javanese girls of high birth until they marry and a fate that feels deeply unfair. Unlike the freely soaring seabirds she sees overhead, Kartini feels like a “caged bird.” Her father, Regent of Jepara, educated his daughters at the Dutch school, where Kartini spent joyous days with her best friend, Lesty Claasen, daughter of the Dutch Colonial Resident. But Lesty has returned to Amsterdam, and Kartini’s confinement precludes going to school. Over the years, she and Lesty communicate via letters that bring a deeper understanding of each other’s cultures and of the harm caused by both colonialism and patriarchal traditions. A visiting Dutch writer, a woman named Marie Ovink-Soer, encourages Kartini to hone her writing talent, which gives her wings to soar. When she’s invited to read aloud an essay that she published in a Dutch women’s magazine under a pseudonym, Kartini bravely uses the opportunity to call for freedom and equitable educational access for Javanese girls. Kadarusman beautifully brings Kartini to life with clarity and empathy in a story that’s educational without being preachy and is a superb pick for readers interested in history and activism.

A well-realized story that shines a spotlight on an early feminist struggle.