The Beautiful Life of Maria Mutiara

Maria is a young girl growing up in Minahasa, the northern region of the tropical island of Sulawesi. In the 1940's and 50's the region underwent a political and economic transition. What was once the colonial Dutch East Indies became the new country of Indonesia, and Maria and her family became Indonesian citizens.

Maria's adventures play out against the backdrop of this historical period. Her family lives a peaceful life in a small village, her father is the school principal, her mother a devoted housewife. Maria is bored, but things change when her parents send her to high school in the big city of Manado. Her tales of teenage romance bring to life some of the funniest and most intimate moments of a young woman's life: kissing a boy for the first time, sneaking off to a rock n roll party but getting back in time to attend church the next morning, joining a rebellion against the new government...

The Permesta Rebellion is part of Indonesia's history, and author Grace Rorimpandey adds historic detail in this realistic yet entertaining and warm-hearted work of fiction, based on her real life experience.