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misspalah's review against another edition
4.0
“Ratai straightened her back and steeled herself before she turned to face her mother. Her gaze was proud and bold , like a seasoned warrior. My place is where the spirits send me. I will go and be like one of the men”.
- Iban Woman by Golda Mowe
.
.
I was promised a story of woman warrior and i got exactly what i wanted. The beginning was a bit slow for me but i understand the intention of it - to show the growth of Ratai’s characters and to let reader slowly into the world that they are not familiar of. Coming from the lineage of Warrior like her father (Nuing) and grandfather (Bujang Maias) , Ratai were introduced in the story as a great hunter. Her talent to catch many animals surpassed her other male friends. She understood that this is not the norm in the her community as women were expected to be a great weaver and paddy planter. She failed miserably as her thread was such a mess and her rice was not cultivated properly. I cant help but felt if the rite of passage is not so gendered - that rather than women should only do weaving and men should only do hunting in order to complete their ritual ; lets talent decide rather than gender. Maybe the whole crisis in Nuing’s Long House can be averted. Maybe Sagan can marry Ratai without any hesitation. Maybe Sawai, Sagan’s mother will not object their courtship. Unfortunately, we followed Ratai’s heartbreak , Sagan’s Death, Sawai’s curse and Nuing’s persistence of not wanting to go to War. Golda Mowe build the plot beautifully and they way it was written is impeccable. I find myself fully immersed in the storyline by the time Ratai joined the War quest. NGL, I got frustrated as Ratai often second guessing herself. It took almost half of the book for her to reclaim her space and speak out against her father and other mens in the long house. It took her that long to convince them that War is the only way to reverse what Sawai has done. I have learned a lot of Iban culture - their terms and rituals and even the name of their spirits from this book. We saw how Ratai’s family and the long house community lived their life as they demonstrated the rites while weaving, hunting, threading and up to managing their daily conduct as to avoid any interference from demons or to appease the spirit. They were completely attuned with the forces of Nature and i love that. Golda also hinted few times of the existence of multi ethnics in the story - Melanau, Kayan, Chinese and Malay were mentioned either due to their skills, attire and goods to capture the diversity of Sarawak. The only criticism i have for this book is I can’t feel Sagan’s sincerity towards Ratai. Even in the beginning when Ratai felt that Sagan refused to praise and validate her skills in hunting as he is ashamed by it (or maybe due to his ego
- Iban Woman by Golda Mowe
.
.
I was promised a story of woman warrior and i got exactly what i wanted. The beginning was a bit slow for me but i understand the intention of it - to show the growth of Ratai’s characters and to let reader slowly into the world that they are not familiar of. Coming from the lineage of Warrior like her father (Nuing) and grandfather (Bujang Maias) , Ratai were introduced in the story as a great hunter. Her talent to catch many animals surpassed her other male friends. She understood that this is not the norm in the her community as women were expected to be a great weaver and paddy planter. She failed miserably as her thread was such a mess and her rice was not cultivated properly. I cant help but felt if the rite of passage is not so gendered - that rather than women should only do weaving and men should only do hunting in order to complete their ritual ; lets talent decide rather than gender. Maybe the whole crisis in Nuing’s Long House can be averted. Maybe Sagan can marry Ratai without any hesitation. Maybe Sawai, Sagan’s mother will not object their courtship. Unfortunately, we followed Ratai’s heartbreak , Sagan’s Death, Sawai’s curse and Nuing’s persistence of not wanting to go to War. Golda Mowe build the plot beautifully and they way it was written is impeccable. I find myself fully immersed in the storyline by the time Ratai joined the War quest. NGL, I got frustrated as Ratai often second guessing herself. It took almost half of the book for her to reclaim her space and speak out against her father and other mens in the long house. It took her that long to convince them that War is the only way to reverse what Sawai has done. I have learned a lot of Iban culture - their terms and rituals and even the name of their spirits from this book. We saw how Ratai’s family and the long house community lived their life as they demonstrated the rites while weaving, hunting, threading and up to managing their daily conduct as to avoid any interference from demons or to appease the spirit. They were completely attuned with the forces of Nature and i love that. Golda also hinted few times of the existence of multi ethnics in the story - Melanau, Kayan, Chinese and Malay were mentioned either due to their skills, attire and goods to capture the diversity of Sarawak. The only criticism i have for this book is I can’t feel Sagan’s sincerity towards Ratai. Even in the beginning when Ratai felt that Sagan refused to praise and validate her skills in hunting as he is ashamed by it (or maybe due to his ego
undisciplinedbeing's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is my favourite book from the series, for many reasons. But among all is the highlight on creative power and strength that Ratai have, especially after meeting Goddess Meni and Selampandai. The realization, as an artist, of how many people out there does not know the origin of their inspiration and musings, especially if it has cultural and spiritual backgrounds to it. This scene struck me the most - as then more involvement of Kumang in this book compared to the last two. Still in awe of how magical the book have made me feel.
athirah_idrus's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This book is an excellent introduction to the Iban culture especially to someone like me, who knows nothing except of its existence despite being a fellow Malaysian. The author, Golda Mowe, a member of this indigenous tribe, gives an insider scoop of the intricate customs, activities and the beliefs practised by its members.
Iban Woman is the third of the Iban series by Mowe, which can be read as a standalone, and centres around the life of Ratai, an Iban woman who defies her people’s customs because her abilities and talents are in the fields that are usually helmed by the male members of her community. The book mainly describes her daily life as an Iban woman and her place in her longhouse, until a calamity forces her to own up to herself on what kind of woman she wants to be.
If you’re interested in learning about the Iban culture, beliefs and superstitions that have been incorporated into a good fiction then this might be what you are looking for. Golda Mowe’s vivid description of each activity, festival and custom practised by the community gives a clear picture as if you’re experiencing them in your mind.
My rating reflects mostly on my personal preference. The book provides exhaustive detail of the culture for the benefit of the readers especially those who are not familiar with the Iban culture. However, to me it was to the detriment of the story as a whole. There were a number of points that the author tried to include in the story but because there were too many to be expounded in a 200-page novel, I felt like the ideas were rather jumbled up and could have been communicated better. As a result, the ending felt rather anticlimactic and some of the points could benefit from further elaboration. Nevertheless if you enjoy descriptive writing especially on culture, this would be a good pick for you.
Iban Woman is the third of the Iban series by Mowe, which can be read as a standalone, and centres around the life of Ratai, an Iban woman who defies her people’s customs because her abilities and talents are in the fields that are usually helmed by the male members of her community. The book mainly describes her daily life as an Iban woman and her place in her longhouse, until a calamity forces her to own up to herself on what kind of woman she wants to be.
If you’re interested in learning about the Iban culture, beliefs and superstitions that have been incorporated into a good fiction then this might be what you are looking for. Golda Mowe’s vivid description of each activity, festival and custom practised by the community gives a clear picture as if you’re experiencing them in your mind.
My rating reflects mostly on my personal preference. The book provides exhaustive detail of the culture for the benefit of the readers especially those who are not familiar with the Iban culture. However, to me it was to the detriment of the story as a whole. There were a number of points that the author tried to include in the story but because there were too many to be expounded in a 200-page novel, I felt like the ideas were rather jumbled up and could have been communicated better. As a result, the ending felt rather anticlimactic and some of the points could benefit from further elaboration. Nevertheless if you enjoy descriptive writing especially on culture, this would be a good pick for you.
biblio_mom's review against another edition
4.0
I have no idea why I insisted on reading the third book in this Iban Series before the second one. I guess, I just got too excited!
ywanderingreads's review against another edition
4.0
As a Bruneian, I don’t know much about Iban culture and have always wanted to learn more. Through reading this, I had a good glimpse of what Iban culture entails and wow, what rich, beautiful customs they have.
Iban Women is part of the Iban Dream trilogy and is the third book in this series. This story follows Ratai, the eldest daughter of the family who enjoys following her father, Nuing, and brothers hunting. She is constantly a topic for gossip because she is more skilled at hunting than at weaving skirts and harvesting rice. Due to this, potential suitors stay away from her because this means bad luck for the longhouse. After a bad omen befalls her longhouse, Ratai is determined to join a war party to save her people. Ratai felt she had to do this because she had been adopted by the goddess of weave and headhunting, Kumang. Through her ordeals, she must find a balance between her longing to be a good Iban woman and her desire to be a headhunter. Would Ratai be able to find what she is looking for?
Dreams and omens play an important role in Iban culture. They decipher what these dreams mean or determine if the omens are good or bad in order to make decisions. It is very important that whatever they seek for is blessed by a god in order for the journey to be successful. I especially love the details Mowe provided of the weaving process, hunting, building and other aspects of the Iban culture. I also love how they all work harmoniously together and decisions are well respected by all. I find many of their beliefs and traditions fascinating and it is sad that they seem to be going out of practice in today’s time where globalisation is taking over and roots and traditions are slowly forgotten.
What an insightful read overall. I highly recommend this to anyone who wishes to learn more about the Iban culture.
Iban Women is part of the Iban Dream trilogy and is the third book in this series. This story follows Ratai, the eldest daughter of the family who enjoys following her father, Nuing, and brothers hunting. She is constantly a topic for gossip because she is more skilled at hunting than at weaving skirts and harvesting rice. Due to this, potential suitors stay away from her because this means bad luck for the longhouse. After a bad omen befalls her longhouse, Ratai is determined to join a war party to save her people. Ratai felt she had to do this because she had been adopted by the goddess of weave and headhunting, Kumang. Through her ordeals, she must find a balance between her longing to be a good Iban woman and her desire to be a headhunter. Would Ratai be able to find what she is looking for?
Dreams and omens play an important role in Iban culture. They decipher what these dreams mean or determine if the omens are good or bad in order to make decisions. It is very important that whatever they seek for is blessed by a god in order for the journey to be successful. I especially love the details Mowe provided of the weaving process, hunting, building and other aspects of the Iban culture. I also love how they all work harmoniously together and decisions are well respected by all. I find many of their beliefs and traditions fascinating and it is sad that they seem to be going out of practice in today’s time where globalisation is taking over and roots and traditions are slowly forgotten.
What an insightful read overall. I highly recommend this to anyone who wishes to learn more about the Iban culture.
ena_ringkai's review against another edition
4.0
My experience with this book is enhanced by the fact that I myself, am Iban. I grew up with only a portion of these stories and myths and I live in the city now and my parents had moved to cities.
To me, this felt like a book with 3-4 plot points that felt like major points of the book that were combined into one book. The issue with that is all the building up the author does only to be greeted with an anticlimactic conclusion before she moves on with the next major point. For example, the war scene could definitely have been a bit longer, before we moved onto Jantan and Suma.
That is not to say that it wasn't still entertaining. Regardless of the extensive detailing (which I found to be enjoyable because I've seen the things and processes described before) it was a solid entertaining book and I was never bored throughout it.
I enjoyed the family dynamics of this book as well as the legends and I especially enjoyed the fantasy elements. Again, I feel like this was enhanced for me since I've already grown up with these stories told to me in the ruai with my grandmother with her weaving. It all felt very familiar and above all, I'd like to thank the author for giving me a chance to go through these worlds of legends and taboos and Gods and demons- a chance to relive what I never even went through. Upon asking my elders, the details of the book were mostly accurate and I appreciate that.
It will sit on my shelf as one of my favourites simply because of the nostalgia and a sense of identity and belonging and pride that I felt when I read this book. Solid and would totally recommend.
To me, this felt like a book with 3-4 plot points that felt like major points of the book that were combined into one book. The issue with that is all the building up the author does only to be greeted with an anticlimactic conclusion before she moves on with the next major point. For example, the war scene could definitely have been a bit longer, before we moved onto Jantan and Suma.
That is not to say that it wasn't still entertaining. Regardless of the extensive detailing (which I found to be enjoyable because I've seen the things and processes described before) it was a solid entertaining book and I was never bored throughout it.
I enjoyed the family dynamics of this book as well as the legends and I especially enjoyed the fantasy elements. Again, I feel like this was enhanced for me since I've already grown up with these stories told to me in the ruai with my grandmother with her weaving. It all felt very familiar and above all, I'd like to thank the author for giving me a chance to go through these worlds of legends and taboos and Gods and demons- a chance to relive what I never even went through. Upon asking my elders, the details of the book were mostly accurate and I appreciate that.
It will sit on my shelf as one of my favourites simply because of the nostalgia and a sense of identity and belonging and pride that I felt when I read this book. Solid and would totally recommend.
chacointhecity's review against another edition
5.0
An excellent insider's perspective into the world, customs, myths and traditional religion of the headhunters of Borneo, made accessible through the use of highly-readable English. The images conjured up are vivid and detailed, while the plot flows seamlessly from scene to scene. Never have I come across a Malaysian novel in English so unputdownable. I read the first couple of chapters and immediately ordered the author's other two works on the Iban people (Iban Dream and Iban Journey) online.
daphnelee's review against another edition
5.0
As is always the case with books by Golda Mowe, I like how Iban culture and customs, beliefs and superstitions are described in a straightforward, matter-of-fact manner, without exotification. The details Mowe provides of weaving, hunting, building and other aspects of Iban life, including ritual practices, are riveting to me. Some readers would probably prefer more action than description, but that's personal preference. I was rather relieved that the battle scenes were brief. When Ratai harvests her first head, I felt pity for the victim because Ratai observes he's a young boy. I feel this was an interesting way to remind the reader that Ratai is aware of herself and hasn't been swept away by the excitement of the moment. However, although she feels compassion, her priorities (the well being of her people as well as her pride as a warrior) don't allow her to give in to it.
Another thing I found interesting was the slave whose life was spared during the battle and his eventual fate. This plot strand raises questions that I must present to the author. So very interesting.
On the whole, I love the way the story unfolded and the intense exploration of Ratai's struggles to balance her femininity, what was expected of her as an Iban woman and her natural inclinations and talents.
The inter-weaving of Iban folk beliefs and dreams of gods and goddesses with life, and the way the supernatural aspects of the story manifest themselves in the characters' real-life is quite beautiful, and presented so naturally that there is no question of not accepting the part played by the divine in the affairs of humans.
This is definitely my favourite of the Iban Trilogy. However, as much as I love the happy ending, I wish to know more about Ratai's life and hope Mowe will write another book in this series.
Another thing I found interesting was the slave whose life was spared during the battle and his eventual fate. This plot strand raises questions that I must present to the author. So very interesting.
On the whole, I love the way the story unfolded and the intense exploration of Ratai's struggles to balance her femininity, what was expected of her as an Iban woman and her natural inclinations and talents.
The inter-weaving of Iban folk beliefs and dreams of gods and goddesses with life, and the way the supernatural aspects of the story manifest themselves in the characters' real-life is quite beautiful, and presented so naturally that there is no question of not accepting the part played by the divine in the affairs of humans.
This is definitely my favourite of the Iban Trilogy. However, as much as I love the happy ending, I wish to know more about Ratai's life and hope Mowe will write another book in this series.
smarkies's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
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