In writing the memoir of a friend’s girlhood in Java during WWII, author Sally Brandle was challenged by disturbing truths about privilege and oppression, as well as contradictions in historical accounts, depending on the perspective.
Sally shares strategies for encouraging recall of memories and events when writing or ghost-writing a memoir, then recounts the fascinating life of a girl uncomfortable with her mixed-race heritage, caught in the tragedy of wartime in the Pacific Theater. The story raises complex questions of race, privilege, politics, and social justice - questions that are as relevant today as they were during 1930s Dutch colonial rule of Java, Indonesia, and the ensuing Japanese occupation during WWII.
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