
A stormy monsoon paints the opening scene, as rain lashes the dusty roads and the modest inhabitants scramble for shelter under makeshift umbrellas of banana leaves. Inside a comfortable colonial home, the widowed Mrs. Hoedt presides over a lively tea gathering, her generous spirit and warm humor drawing the family together. The narrative introduces a cast of vivid personalities—her two daughters, a brooding young man, and a talented yet reluctant niece—each navigating grief, duty, and the subtle pressures of their social world.
Through witty dialogue and keen observation, the story captures the tension between tradition and change in a tropical setting, hinting at the complexities of marriage arrangements and familial expectations. As the household prepares for an evening dinner, the characters’ interactions reveal both light‑hearted banter and the undercurrents of sorrow that shape their lives. The first act sets a tone of gentle satire, inviting listeners to explore the delicate balance of love, loss, and cultural identity.
Language
nl
Duration
~3 hours (196K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Jeroen Hellingman and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net/ for Project Gutenberg (This book was produced from scanned images of public domain material from the Google Books project.)
Release date
2021-07-17
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1847–1890
A pioneering Dutch-language novelist of the Dutch East Indies, she wrote sharp, observant fiction about colonial society and the pressures faced by European women living there. Her work helped open space for women's perspectives in nineteenth-century writing about Indonesia.
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