It is one of the books that blown my mind. It's very well written and would probably relate with a lot of people who are in their journey to find themselves. So many people are talking about it but I did not buy it until a few months ago where I read the preview on the first pages. Easy for me to see if I want to buy the book or not. When the first pages hook me right away, I don't need to think twice. This book is one of them. This contains spoiler of course. Nora, the main character, like many of us, fall into depression and decided to kill herself. But she's not dead right away. She went into a kind of limbo between life and death. In that library she met a librarian, this librarian is a kind of a guide. Our guide that probably tasked when we were born. The librarian shows her lives that she could have had if she wants to. She is so depressed and thinks that no life will makes her happy enough to live it. I can totally understand her state. I was there....
Mardiyem, mantan jugun ianfu (pic : santijehannanda.com) Menyambung postingan sebelumnya tentang Nyai, yang beken di era penjajahan Belanda hingga Jepang menginvasi Indonesia (sekitar taun 1942), Jepang memiliki cara tersendiri untuk memenuhi hasrat para prajuritnya. Jugun Ianfu sebutannya. Berbeda dengan memelihara gundik di masa penjajahan Belanda, Jepang cenderung menyediakan wanita-wanita Negara jajahan untuk memenuhi hasrat seksualnya. Jika prajurit Belanda direkomendasikan untuk memelihara satu gundik (yang mana gundik tersebut memang mau untuk dijadikan gundik karena pilihannya sendiri), maka pemerintahan Jepang dengan 'senang hati' memaksa wanita Indonesia untuk dijadikan 'ransum' prajurit. Saya sedih sih menyebutnya ransum, seolah mereka makanan yang disajikan untuk dilahap. Bagaimana dengan teknisnya? Jepang 'merekrut' wanita-wanita bahkan anak-anak pun tak lepas darinya. Ada yang kurang beruntung berusia 12 tahun, bahkan ya...