CATEGORY

Herawati Diah's journey began in 1917, when she was born into an upper-class priyayi family. While most intellectuals of the time were drawn to the Netherlands and western Europe for their studies, Herawati was the first Indonesian woman to obtain a degree from an American university. This later aroused the ire and the suspicion of the Dutch East Indies colonial authorities and she was imprisoned on her arrival back in Indonesia. With the arrival of the Japanese Imperial Forces in 1942, Herawati was released, once again free to resume her journey. Marriage to prominent journalist B.M. Diah, who later became ambassador to Czechoslovakia, Britain and Thailand as well as Information Minister in the Sukarno and Soeharto Cabinets, provided Herawati with privileged access and an insider's view on the struggles - and successes - of Indonesia's journey as an independent nation. In An Endless Journey: Reflections of an Indonesian Journalist, Herawati discusses the transition of Indonesia from a Dutch colony to an independent republic and the progress of five presidents as they have made their way across the turbulent Indonesian political stage. An Endless Journey offers a glimpse to the development of post-war Indonesia and provides fascinating reading for anyone interested in the life of one of Indonesia's most remarkable daughters.