The Linguist's Family: Toraja in the Dutch East Indies, prisoners of wartime Japan, and the Republic of Indonesia

In 1916, Peter’s parents accepted a contract with the Dutch Bible Society and moved to Tana Toraja, then in the Dutch East Indies. Dr. Hendrik van der Veen was a linguist specializing in Indonesian languages, and Louise was a talented nurse. They found in the Toraja a warm, generous, and deeply spiritual people, unlike the demeaning caricature familiar in the Netherlands.Peter grew up at his family’s mission post there, near Rantepao. His father studied the language and unique culture, and the first Sa’dan-Toraja dictionary took shape. When Peter was twelve, he moved to Java for school. There, his uncle J.M.J. Schepper was a law professor in Batavia. Many Indonesian students in Schepper’s classes were involved in the movement for Indonesian independence, and among them was Amir Sjarifuddin.Imperial Japan occupied the Indies in 1942: the family was interned until 1945. Peter survived five camps, and the Tjitjalengka railroad camp, but the family suffered irreparable losses and left after WWII. Dr. van der Veen returned alone in 1946 to finish the translation of the Bible. The war for Independence raged dangerously - and was won.Marjolein, Peter’s daughter, joins him as researcher and co-author to tell the story of a Dutch family who supported Indonesian independence. It is an essential chapter in the Asia-Pacific War and ongoing decolonization.With an Afterword by Mariko Kage"rare and valuable" - Dr. James Loucky"meticulously researched" - Dr. Terance W. Bigalke"exceptionally memorable" - Dr. Kathleen M. Adams"political, economic, and social" - Thekla Lit Read more