In One Word: Moral
A Beautiful Sentence: “If we are drowning in the sea, we could still swim, or there would be clothes who could help pull us to shore, but if we are drowning in a sea of people, it’s like we’re buried deep in a muddy swamp, mun.”
The Plot: A former village headman from Pulau Sebidang moves to a high-rise flat in mainland Singapore, struggling with family tensions and cultural displacement. He faces challenges of identity and preserving traditions while yearning for his island home amidst rapid societal change.
Not your everyday read. It is slow. The pace is slow, the story is slow, and everything about it moves slowly. Surprisingly, I didn’t find it annoying. I appreciated the slowliness because it allowed the story to explore its depth and weigth. The message remains simple, but its moral core and profound narrative make it captivating.
The story raises a thought-provoking question: What happens when people are uprooted from a small island and forced to live somewhere they didn’t choose? The book challenges the ideas of modernity and advancement,revealing how progress often sacrifices identity. Watching this family edge toward collapse feels heartbreaking. Challenges they never faced on the island tear them apart.
The narrative focuses entirely on Penghulu, a character I absolutely adored. He’s full of wit and wisdom. His struggles as an elderly adapting to rapid modernization felt raw and authentic. The vivid language beautifully captures his frustrations and humor, making his journey so relatable.
That said, I wanted more perspectives, especially from the politician son. What drives him? How does he view the societal shifts? These unanswered questions left me curious. Some parts of the story feel rushed, like the girls who disappears and returns. Something dark clearly happens to her, but the ritual addressing it feels unresolved and unsettling.
Despite these flaws, the book is a fascinating read. It offers an intimate look at how people adapt, or faily to adapt, to change and how progress affect different individuals and generations.
Takeaway:
A slow read that makes you stand still on progress and the cost it brings to some.