A gripping story about loneliness and a family secret. You also learn more about the Dutch East Indies during wartime.

This book is written in a fluent style, with short chapters with a title, so you know what is to come. The reader is triggered to keep reading, as there's often a cliff-hanger at the end of the chapter. A beautiful historical piece that I highly recommend!

A very personal, romanticized story about loneliness and abandonment, which gets an extra dimension through a well-kept family secret.

Wonderful, empathetic, revealing, perfect historiography!

A beautifully told history that you will not soon forget.

For me, this book highlighted a whole new aspect of the Second World War in the Dutch East Indies.

A beautiful book written in a fascinating and moving way. It is a compelling story based on facts and written from a different perspective than the usual. Birgit was able to do this because the story is about her father, and she is very close to the main character, which has allowed her to describe things in a very personal way.

A book that makes me look at history differently. And also a personal story full of goodbyes, choices, and courage. Written in such a pleasant way that I can hardly put it down, and I can visualize it all.

This book shows how things went during the various occupations of the Dutch East Indies and their consequences for Victor and his family, even well after World War II. The use of Malay words made you think you were right there. The hardest thing perhaps was to stop reading. Sometimes it felt like I was sitting next to Victor in one of the Tjemara trees in the garden of Grand Hotel Lembang, and I could watch everyone without them noticing me.

The story is told chronologically, and the writing style is pleasant and compelling. A glossary is included in the back, and – to top it all off – family photos have been added. I thought it was a well-balanced combination of a family story and a piece of history. I find it an excellent book that is not pessimistic despite all the losses, and I learned some too.

Today I traveled back in time. What an impressive family history! I read it in one day.