Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Janet DeNeefe
Fragrant Rice
. The Australian cofounder of Ubud's
Casa Luna
paints an en-
ticing picture of life with her Balinese husband and family, interweaving her observations
with recipes for local dishes.
NATURAL HISTORY
John MacKinnon
Field Guide to the Birds of Borneo, Sumatra, Java and Bali
. The most
comprehensive field guide of its kind.
David Pickell and Wally Siagian
Diving Bali: The Underwater Jewel of Southeast Asia
.
Beautifully photographed and detailed account.
FICTION
Nigel Barley
Island of Demons
. Delightful, fictionalized account of the early expats in
Bali told in the distinctive (imaginary) voice of Rudolf Bonnet, by turns sad, petulant, gener-
ous and tetchy, but never boring.
Vicki Baum
A Tale from Bali
. Occasionally moving, and always interesting, semi-factual
historical novel based on the events leading up to the 1906
puputan
in Denpasar.
Diana Darling
The Painted Alphabet
. Charming reworking of a traditional Balinese tale
about young love, rivalry and the harnessing of supernatural power.
Garrett Kam
Midnight Shadows
(o/p). A teenage boy's life in 1960s Bali is turned upside
down first by the devastating eruption of Gunung Agung and then by the vicious, divisive,
anti-communist violence that swept the island.
Odyle Knight
Bali Moon
:
A Spiritual Odyssey
(o/p). Riveting tale of an Australian woman's
deepening involvement with the Balinese spirit world through her romance with a young
Balinese priest. Apparently based on true events.
Christopher J. Koch
The Year of Living Dangerously
. Set in Jakarta in the last year of Pres-
ident Sukarno's rule leading up to the 1965 takeover by Suharto and the subsequent violence,
this story compellingly details ethnic, political and religious tensions that are still apparent in
Indonesia today.
Putu Oka Sukanta
The Sweat of Pearls: Short Stories about Women of Bali
(o/p). Though
all the stories were written by a man, the vignettes of village life are enlightening, and the
author is a respected writer who spent many years as a political prisoner.
