Wind in the Buffalo Grass

In her introduction to this memoir, S. Marian Bohen writes: "My life has taught me that perhaps by sharing our limited visions of reality, our memories, and by listening seriously to those of others, we may together approach a deeper understanding of the mystery of our existence, our world, our universe. If we can listen to the stories, learn about the life experiences of others, I have hope for a world where we move into circles of equals. Lines and `choosing sides' make for clear separations that are sometimes useful. In a world we now recognize as one beautiful round globe in a vast universe, my hope is that we can learn to sit in circles of listeners and storytellers, rising from these circles infected with a fever for peace and understanding." These reflections and learnings were gleaned from almost a quarter of a century of the author's life lived among various ethnic and religious groups in three major areas of Indonesia: Java, Kalimantan and Western Papua. This is a tale of almost endless river journeys, life lived on platforms above a muddy swamp, twice-daily baths in a river with soap, sarong, and a bucket - a life of seeming deprivation to the Western mind, and yet a life enriched by the wisdom and humanity of ancient cultures in some of the most remote places on earth. Bohen's respect for and adaptation to her adopted land are truly inspirational. It is her hope that her readers will come to taste the truth and beauty inherent in the unlikely places and events that she describes.