Kemelut Rondasih dan Dua Anaknya

“Tongue of the mother-in-law is stiff, tall, and pointed at the end. Some people know that the plant not only serves as an ornamental plant, but also functions to absorb air pollution… it can suck up toxins and unpleasant odors. Including, toxins from the mouths of neighbors.”

The household of Rondasih and Manas is currently not in good condition. Issues such as land boundaries with neighboring left and right that often make them frustrated, relationships with parents and siblings filled with complications, a biased mother-in-law figure, as well as their twin children—Roman and Rojaman—are like fireworks full of explosions. Amidst all the complexities of life, Rondasih’s love and affection are indeed bottomless wells.

A novel by Minanto—winner of the Jakarta Arts Council Novel Competition 2019 and also Tokoh Sastra Majalah Tempo 2020—invites us to reflect on rural life with all its dense conflicts, smelling the scent of guava, while also discovering the definition of family, which can sometimes be absurd.