Berani

Malia, a privileged Canadian Indonesian girl, wants to remain in Indonesia after her father’s death, even as her Canadian mother plans to return to her own family abroad. Ari, an Indonesian boy, is struggling to continue his education. Together, Malia and Ari work to protect endangered orangutans and Indonesia’s rainforests. Their story is told through alternating viewpoints, with interludes from Berani, an orangutan. The novel brings environmental activism alongside questions of home, loss, and unequal access to schooling.