Berani by Michelle Kadarusman

Title: Berani

Author: Michelle Kadarusman

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Allen and Unwin

Published: 1^st November

Format: Paperback

Pages: 224

Price: $16.99

Synopsis: Malia, Ari and Ginger’s three distinct voices are interwoven to tell the story of Ginger Juice, an orangutan kept captive in a cage in this powerful and uplifting novel suitable for readers of The One and Only Ivan.

Malia has had a privileged upbringing in Indonesia, but now her mother wants to return to her own family on the other side of the world. Malia is determined to stay in Indonesia, her home. Besides, if she leaves, how can she fight for her country’s precious rainforests?

Ari knows he is lucky to be going to school and competing on the chess team, even if it means working long hours at his uncle’s restaurant. And he’s horribly worried about Ginger Juice, his uncle’s orangutan. The too-small cage where she lives is clearly hurting her body and her mind, but where else can she go? The rainforest where she was born is a palm oil plantation now.

The choices Malia and Ari make will have consequences for themselves, Ginger Juice and others, if they are courageous enough to choose.

A powerful story about a standing up for what you believe no matter what the cost.

~*~

Malia lives with her mother in Surabaya, Indonesia, and attends a privileged private school, and lives a privileged life, but is still seen as a foreigner in her own country, because her mother is white. Malia is passionate about the environment and rainforests and wanting to save the orangutans and stop palm oil harvesting. Yet how can she do this from the other side of the world in Canada once her mother moves them over there?

In Malang, Ari lives with his uncle so he can attend the local middle school. His uncle has a pet orangutan – Ginger Juice. But as Ari competes on his school chess team, he starts to realise that Ginger Juice needs to be rescued – and he knows Malia can help. But how can he help Ginger Juice without making his uncle angry. And Ginger Juice wants to leave her cage – but how can she do it? Together, Malia and Ari will work together to save Ginger Juice – but what else will Malia’s activism cost the people of Surabaya?

The latest novel from Michelle Kadarusman, an Indonesian-Australian author, tackles climate change, the palm oil, industry, illegal animal trade, and the plight of orangutans in Indonesia. The story is told through three perspectives – Malia, Ari, and Ginger Juice. Through Malia and Ari, the role of class and privilege through different responses to the palm oil industry, the anti-palm oil movement, and wanting to save orangutans and other wildlife kept as pets. Each chapter is told in first person, but we are told whose perspective we’re reading in the chapter titles.  The book is infused with the smell, sights, sounds, and tastes of Indonesia, with Indonesian – Bahasa – throughout the book, and I was able to recognise some of the words and phrases and work the rest out with the help of my old high school Indonesian dictionary.

It is a powerful story that needs to be told, and it fits in well with all the other climate change fiction that is coming out at the moment. I think I like this one because it explores a different aspect of climate change and habitat destruction, rather than similar themes in other books, even though these are often approached in different ways. It is important to see that there are lots of ways the environment is being affected and it is also good to get these stories from diverse voices. I love this book, and it dealt with important and heavy issues in a way that is accessible to younger readers and gives them pointers on how they can help at the back of the book. I also loved reading a story set in a country that is often not seen in the books I read and showing a culture that is vastly different. It was combined with the clash of two different cultures through Malia – who is borne of two cultures and nations, caught between love for one country, loyalty to her family, and a passion to save the world.

It is a story about choices and consequences, and growing up – about finding your way, knowing what is right and doing what is right, whilst working out where you stand and what you are capable of doing. I hope people love this story just as much as I did.