Home | Writers | Headlines | Writer Spotlights | Contributing Authors
If you are a writer yourself, help us grow the database? Get listed! — A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z

Jakarta Post / What Media Says
Feb 06, 2025

Jakarta Post / What Media Says
Feb 01, 2025

A Dark Tale from Cottonwood Grove

Book / Novel


A Dark Tale from Cottonwood Grove

by Mahfud Ikhwan
Translated by Annie Tucker

Format: Paperback, English
202 page(s)
ISBN/ISBN13: 9354478948/9789354478949
Published Dec 06, 2024 by Speaking Tiger Books

View on Goodreads | Google Books
Click here for more info!




Cursed with a cleft lip and a disreputable father, Mat has been an outcast since birth in Cottonwood Grove, his village in Indonesia. Never having known love or kindness, he grows up to be a violent and aggressive man, ever ready to kill anyone who annoys him. Inayatun is the village beauty, surrounded by admirers, and flagrantly promiscuous. Miraculously, when this unlikely couple meets, they find true love and happiness in each other. But the past won’t let them be. There are too many in the village who have scores to settle with Mat, and who lust after Inayatun. A plot is hatched which leaves Inayatun and her unborn baby dead. Mat is accused of the murders but is saved from the gallows by the testimony of his grandfather, who mysteriously reappears after 15 years. But the people of Cottonwood Grove take the law into their own hands. A vigilante mob attacks him and leaves him for dead.

Mat’s story is recounted in a coffee shop by the notorious ne’er-do-well Warto Kemplung. What at first seems like a tale of small-town scapegoating and defiant true love ultimately reveals a grudge nursed for generations, and the animosity between peasant farmers and corrupt government forces. Amongst Warto’s listeners is a journalist who decides to serialize the story in his newspaper. But in a startling turn of events, Warto disappears, and a stranger appears on the journalist’s doorstep—leaving him to wonder: who was it who died? Who killed who?

In this brilliant tour de force that combines Javanese oral tradition and urban legend with the literary frame of the unreliable narrator, Mahfud Ikhwan has established himself as one of the most exciting new literary voices to emerge from Asia.


Other/Related Editions





As in Indonesian folk tales, there are moments of beauty too in the novel, as in the life that Inayatun and Mat make for themselves in the dark, dappled woods of Cottonwood Grove.
Geeta Doctor   in The outcast and the village beauty: A tale of Indonesian star-crossed lovers (Hindu, Jan 27, 2025)


*) An affiliate link. If you buy the book through this link, we may earn a small commission.

At a Glance

As of now, our resource library is a powerhouse: 602 writers, 835 books from 258 publishers, 783 contributing authors, and a total of 1161 pieces—391 news coverages, 229 clippings, and 541 book reviews. We've sourced from 365 distinct outlets to enrich our content. Add 81 translated works and 58 handpicked standout resources, and you've got a snapshot of our dedication to cultivating a vibrant literary landscape.

About Us

Ready to dive into the magic of our writer's directory? It's not just a cool space for writers to connect; it's like the ultimate toolkit for event hosts, lit organizers, artsy souls, librarians, book nerds, and everyone curious about Indonesian writers. Think of it as the cozy HOME for INDONESIAN WRITERS, where we're on a mission to smash those pesky language barriers holding back Indonesian books and lit from taking over the world. Read more!

Got burning questions, awesome comments, juicy articles, or just some cool info to drop? We're all ears! Shoot us an email, give us a shout on X, Facebook, or Instagram, or hit us up using the contact form. Let's make this a conversation!








You cannot copy content of this page