Written in Black
by K.H. Lim
Since there's not too much out there that's set in Brunei, so it's no wonder that my new blogger friend and I chose the same book for this tiny little country that is situated on the island of Borneo, surrounded by the South China Sea on one side and by Malaysia on all other sides. Written in Black is about a small boy, Jonathan, who is adrift in the chaos of his family's dysfunction, left too often to his own devices as he struggles to understand why his mother has left, his eldest brother has run away, and his father has disengaged. When his grandfather dies and the family gathers, Jonathan and his needs are only further pushed aside. After learning that his cousin has been in touch with the elder brother, who in turn is in regular contact with their mother ... Jonathan decides to take matters into his own hands. He hides in the back of the coffin delivery truck, and sets out to solve the problem of his missing family members.
What struck me most about this story was both how heartbreakingly alone Jonathan felt among the people who were supposed to love him best. Desperately missing his mother and not understanding what happened to cause her to leave, he is devastated to learn she calls when he's not at home and that he is the only one who hasn't been able to talk to her. As children often do, he internalizes this in a very personal way, and it was difficult to read his pain, which the author conveyed very clearly.
The novel was somewhat entertaining but not really worthy of high marks. Jonathan's journey is billed as a coming of age tale, a label that fits in how the novel is structured ... more internal dialogue than action. The fact that Jonathan is reading Huckleberry Finn as the story gets underway serves as a little foreshadowing. Overall, I have to say I didn't get what I'd hoped for from the book ... no real insight about Brunei or even about Jonathan himself. Another episode in the Few Books Set In Small Countries drama ...
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