A White Woman's Life In Bali

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29401, 31 December 1960, Page 3

A White Woman's Life In Bali

Revolt in Paradise. By K’Tut Tantri. Heinemann. 305 pp.

The remarkable thing about “Revolt in Paradise” is that it is, as far as can be judged, a record of facts. In spite of her Balinese name, the author is British by birth. T was born in Scotland of Manx parents.” Her father died in Africa just before she was born, and she spent her childhood on the Isle of Man. Then, shortly after the First World War, her mother decided to go to America and finally settled in Hollywood. The daughter made a great success as a feature writer in the journals connected with the film industry and with film stars. But she was dissatisfied with her life; and after seeing a film called “Bali, the Last Paradise,” she gave up her career and in 1932 sailed from New York for the East. Bali did not disappoint her “Serenity and peace hung like a veil over the beautiful green countryside. Bali was even more lovely and satisfying than I had imagined.” Her plan was to fill the petrol tank of her car and drive into the interior of the island until the car stopped. “When the engine finally sputtered and died, I found myself in a beautiful medieval village high up in the hills, outside a hand-somely-carved wall of red brick with an open archway guarded on both sides by four stone figures representing Balinese gods. Behind the stone wall was what looked like a mysterious-looking temple hidden in tropical foliage. I smiled as I though, ‘Surely I must be destined to live with the gods in the Garden of Allah.’ ” However the mysterious-look-ing temple turned out to be the palace of the Rajah Agung Gede, with whose family the author was

to be associated for a number of years. In fact she became the adopted daughter of this princely family who bestowed upon her her Balinese name K’Tut Tantri. Her behaviour immediately involved her in trouble with the Dutch authorities, who did not approve of a white woman’s associating with the subject race. She was ostracised by the Dutch community; but her reply to this was to dye her hair black and wear Balinese dress. In the finish she so far established herself as to build and open a bungalowstyle hotel, which became famous m the East Indies. Here K’Tut Tantri entertained people as distinguished as the Duff Coopers. However, all this was changed when war came to the Pacific. The Japanese were convinced that Tantri was an agent of the F.BJ., and she was imprisoned and beaten to compel her to give the information she did not have. She had to endure torture and solitary confinement. Once she was put through a mock execution before a firing party. When she was rescued by the Indonesians after the Japanese collapsed in August. 1945. she weighed only 65 pounds and was in a state of mental and physical prostration.

As soon as she was restored to health, comparatively speaking, she threw in her lot with the Indonesians, and assumed the red and white armband with the inscription “Liberty or Death.” This long and bitter struggle had its own heartbreaking quality, and at the end of it K’Tut Tantri was back again in unfriendly New York, working in the United States on behalf of the newly formed Indonesian Republic. “Revolt in Paradise.’’ is deeply sincere and may be recommended as a most unusual book.