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Overview

The Most Gentle People is a work of creative nonfiction about growing up Indonesian, and Indonesia growing up. In the footsteps Minor Feelings by Cathy Park Hong, Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner, and The Jakarta Method by Vincent Bevins, this book explores Asian and American identity through a retelling of Indonesian history cast in the reflection of America’s past. The manuscript is complete and is 55,000 words in length.

Gemes is a word that only exists in Indonesian. Have you ever been overcome by the intense desire to pinch a baby’s cheeks? That’s gemes. Psychologists call this phenomenon “Cute Aggression.” I wonder if the first colonists looked at us and our land and felt a perverse sense of gemes. Were we so adorable that they had to squeeze everything out of us? From European imperial rule to a U.S.-backed military regime, that contorted craving lasted over three centuries. The Most Gentle People is my attempt to unravel this past and recast it in a new light. As I do so, I grapple with the parts of Indonesia that I have neglected, ignored, and, in some cases, shunned. These revelations intertwine with the loss of family, a haunting high school experience, workplace abuse, addiction, heartbreak, and, ultimately, redemption. This coming-of-age story, set against the backdrop of a misunderstood country, reminds us that to forgive is not to forget.

Author Background

I grew up in Jakarta, before moving to D.C. for college and then New York for work. My family has its fingerprints all over Indonesia, as politicians, civil servants, businesspeople, law enforcement, and even as members of a CIA-backed rebellion. I am spiritually Muslim but culturally Jewish, which means I don’t eat pork and am very lactose intolerant. Sitting on the fence between Millennials and Gen Z, I remember dial-up internet but can’t park my car without a backup camera. The passing of my Opa (“Grandfather”) was the catalyst for this book. He was born during the colonial period and became a successful diplomat. In addition to my lived experiences and subject matter expertise, I conducted extensive research—interviews, onsite investigations, and covered substantial primary and secondary sources. Following the publishing of this book, I intend to write further regarding Indonesian and Asian American stories.

What’s the Latest on My Book?

The manuscript is complete and ready.

Interested in publishing it? Please contact me: dakotasinder8@gmail.com.

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