Description
Pedo Rupa was one of ten children born to her father Tungan in the jungles of Borneo in the late 1950’s or early 1960’s. Soon after her birth, she was given to an uncle so that she could become his cleaner and laborer when she got older. Luckily, her grandfather lived in the same hut with Pedo and her cruel, uncaring uncle. Her grandfather looked after Pedo and told her stories about his younger years. A story that stood out to Pedo, was one where her grandfather detailed killing a Japanese soldier during WWII with a machete when the soldiers entered his village looking for slave labor. The story that follows in this book traces Pedo’s life from the jungles of Borneo to the surrounding cities and a chance encounter with an American who she married. She then set out on an entirely new adventure, relocating to the United States, where she would find love, ups and downs, and a new way of life.
I found the first part of this book truly fascinating. I have always loved learning about new cultures and people’s experiences. Pedo gives a telling and rather sad account of her early years, detailing the hardships and emotional trauma of being given away by her family, simply because they could not look after her. But Pedo overcame some of these hardships by having the courage to run away and seek a life of her own. I enjoyed hearing about her life in the city, first as a babysitter and later at the hair salon, and even her relationship with Hee Ping which resulted in her daughter Aling.
Her adventures took on a different nature when she met an American named Terry. After a short, whirlwind relationship they decided to marry and Pedo moved to the United States. Once the shock of the Nebraskan weather wore off, she seemed to jump into local life and make the best of it. She worked in her husband’s body shop and set out to establish a life on her terms. I admired her courage and sense of adventure. She was a determined person. Once she decided to do something she didn’t turn back, like when she decided to get her driving license. Failure the first and the second time did not stop her. She persisted until she got it. I think that persistence was a theme that ran through this story. I got the sense that once Pedo decided to do something, she had the tenacity to see it through.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this story. However, I did think the constant attention given to the sexual exploits became a bit repetitive. To me, it overtook the narrative and didn’t add much new information. I loved the fact that photos were included. That made the story so much more personal for me. I especially appreciated the last photograph showing Pedo, Terry, and Grandfather’s machete. Pedo’s story shows us that you never know where life will take you. It might even, at times, surprise you.