Many of the stories in this volume are based on Pramoedya's own childhood and depict children struggling to make sense of adult motives and behavior. A boy bursts into uncontrollable tears when his father, who always tucks him in bed, doesn't come home one night and his mother cannot offer him a reasonable explanation. An eight-year-old girl, who is soon to be married off by her parents for money, brags to her playmate about the pretty clothes and makeup she will acquire. And a child's heart pounds in terror as he awaits his ritual circumicision, but he remains determined to do what it takes to become a true Muslim.

Other stories portray the disillusionments of adulthood, in particular the brutality of war and the uneasiness of peace. An idealistic young soldier witnesses the barbaric beating of a man accused of being a spy. A blind paraplegic, a veteran of the war against the colonial government, unleashes his rage and frustration on his mother. And a middle-aged patriot is left with no choice but to comply when Communist troops knock on his door and take him away. While war and violence pervade these tales, as they have the author's life, there is present throughout a tenderness and a profound sense of compassion. Scenes of startling cruelty are interwoven with scenes of remarkable humanity. And it is this extraordinary combination of despair and hope, of suffering and survival, that gives these stories such rare power and beauty.

Contents:

• All That Is Gone
• Inem
• In Twilight Born
• Circumcision
• Revenge
• Independence Day
• Acceptance
• The Rewards of Marriage