Review
"You'll never forget Riska." --Now
"[A] lovely memoir--a rare and valuable record [and] a thoroughly original account of growing up in the rain forests of Borneo.-- Fresh, direct writing and sparkling, meandering connections between thoughts, snatches of conversation and memory." -The Globe and Mail
"A captivating story--and a stunning and insightful testament to her life and the life of her people." -Winnipeg Free Press
"Riska ought to be essential reading--A totally enchanting and beguiling autobiography [that] provides valuable insights into the past, present and future of Borneo's first inhabitants. " -Woman Newsmagazine
Book Description
Books by Western specialists have compiled many observations and facts about the "headhunters of Borneo," but the culture has never before been described from the inside, by an indigenous person born and reared in the rain forest listening to the stories and legends of her tribe. In this vivid memoir, Riska Orpa Sari tells us about the remote village of her birth, where rice is cultivated by cutting and burning the rain forest, where hunting and gathering take place under its dark canopy. She describes courtship and marriage, funeral rites, the sound headhunters make before they strike, the impact of the logging industry on the Dayak way of life, and the centrality of the river to all aspects of daily living. As Riska's marvelous story unfolds, a witty, intelligent personality is revealed, endearing, resilient, and dedicated to the preservation of her people.
Riska: Memories of a Dayak Girlhood FROM THE PUBLISHER
Books by Western specialists have compiled many observations and facts about the "headhunters of Borneo," but the culture has never before been described from the inside, by an indigenous person born and reared in the rain forest listening to the stories and legends of her tribe. In this vivid memoir, Riska Orpa Sari tells us about the remote village of her birth, where rice is cultivated by cutting and burning the rain forest, where hunting and gathering take place under its dark canopy. She describes courtship and marriage, funeral rites, the sound headhunters make before they strike, the impact of the logging industry on the Dayak way of life, and the centrality of the river to all aspects of daily living. As Riska's marvelous story unfolds, a witty, intelligent personality is revealed, endearing, resilient, and dedicated to the preservation of her people.
FROM THE CRITICS
KLIATT
Spalding, a Canadian anthropologist, met Riska while traveling in the latter's native Borneo. Riska responded to Spalding's attempts to interview her about cultural gender roles by producing the memoir reworked for the book in hand. The thirty-year-old author presents the story of her life from her parents' meeting through her own childhood, adolescence, early marriage, motherhood and career. The story moves quickly and spends little time describing events or thoughts Riska experienced before her marriage at 18. However, her teenaged discovery of sexuality and her husband's disappointment in her inability to prove her virginity are described fully. Riska's parents, like her, were relatively well educated and her production of a written manuscript seems to be in keeping with her background. There is little here, however, that describes the rapid changes the Dayak culture has seen in the past quarter-half, or full century. This remains simply one woman's story, emphasizing the points that engage her most about recounting her own young life. KLIATT Codes: A—Recommended for advanced students, and adults. 1999, Univ. of Georgia Press, 257p, bibliog, 21cm, $16.95. Ages 17 to adult. Reviewer: Francisca Goldsmith; Teen Svcs., Berkeley P.L., Berkeley, CA, November 2000 (Vol. 34 No. 6)
Art & Photography
Book Info
