In this semi-autobiographical story, Pramoedya Ananta Toer likens his early childhood memories to the ebb and flow of a river near his hometoen. The story, set during Indonesia’s colonial era, contrasts the joys of growing up in a loving middle-class family with the realization that life can sometimes seem unjust. His father’s involvement in the Budi Utomo movement, of which the boy is unaware, keeps him away for extended periods and takes a heavy toll on the boy, his mother, and their family life. Themes include memory, parent-child relationships, loss of innocence, the cost of political activism.
