
The Rainbow Troops
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Buy Now for £19.99
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Narrated by:
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Kenneth Moraleda
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By:
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Andrea Hirata
About this listen
Ikal is a student at Muhammadiyah Elementary, on the Indonesian island of Belitong, where graduating from sixth grade is considered a major achievement. His school is under constant threat of closure. In fact, Ikal and his friends - a group called The Rainbow Troops - face threats from every angle: pessimistic, corrupt government officials; greedy corporations hardly distinguishable from the colonialism they've replaced; deepening poverty and crumbling infrastructure; and their own faltering self-confidence. But in the form of two extraordinary teachers, they also have hope, and Ikal's education is an uplifting one, in and out of the classroom. You will cheer for Ikal and his friends as they defy the town's powerful tin miners. Meet his first love - a hand with half-moon fingernails that passes him the chalk his teacher sent him to buy. You will roar in support of Lintang, the class's barefoot maths genius, as he bests the rich company children in an academic challenge. First published in Indonesia, The Rainbow Troops went on to sell over 5 million copies. Now it is set to captivate listeners across the globe. This is classic storytelling: an engrossing depiction of a world not often encountered, bursting with charm and verve.
©2005 Andrea Hirata (P)2014 Bolinda Publishing Pty LtdCritic reviews
The characterisation is generally good, with interesting quirky characters, but these are at times a little simplistic.
The story is well rather than masterfully written. I enjoyed it, I would recommend it. It is an important work in that it is one of the few novels from an Indonesian writer to be translated and read internationally.
A bitter sweet story of life in rural Indonesia
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It confirmed my belief that poverty above all represents a loss of human potential, as I often think that when I see the poorest here, whether they might have the brilliant mind of a lawyer or engineer, let alone deserve a better life but are trapped by circumstance or don't have the grit to fight against it. This person's story shows how one person realised his dreams, but left me wondering how many more as able as he are left behind because of policy failures, a lack of access to education or just plain bad luck.
A remarkable mind and a moving tale.
Moving true story of poverty and education
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