In Southeast Asian history, the headhunters of Borneo had a notorious and enduring reputation. However, Terry Iwanski’s The Headhunter’s Granddaughter shares a rare account of what it’s like being raised by one.
It remains a little-known fact that Southeast Asia was once home to some of history’s deadliest indigenous headhunters. But while students of the region’s history often learn about them in the roles they played across various wars (including WW2), Terry Iwanski presents rare human experience stories about having one as an elder in The Headhunter’s Granddaughter.
What is The Headhunter’s Granddaughter About?
The book tells the story of Pedo Rupa, who was born in one of the remote villages of Borneo. Unfortunately, her family already had too many mouths to feed and Pedo was sold to a childless uncle who also lived with her grandfather.
Eventually, it would turn out that her grandfather would prove to be quite the silver lining in her early years. The old man had grown fond of the infant, eventually bonding with her and even helping her find wet nurses. Still, life was hardly easy later on.
What Readers Can Expect from the Book
Photo by Wouter Groote Veldman
Much of Pedo’s story describes how she grew up in rural Borneo. The island, divided today between Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia, is still home to numerous indigenous tribes (including hers).
And like many such tribes today, poverty as well as lack of education and infrastructure remain a source of hardship in their lives. The book certainly will not spare uncomfortable details such as growing up with hardly any clothes, the struggle for food as well as abusive relationships with less kindly family members (like Pedo’s uncle).
On the other hand, the stories she shares about her grandfather are rich in history and tribal tradition. Despite his age and declining physique, Pedo’s grandfather still retains much of his warrior’s pride when it came to telling her of his past exploits defending his home. It’s a book that shares about a difficult life with grisly detail, yet also a sense of honor from having endured it all.
Is The Headhunter’s Granddaughter Worth Reading?
For those interested in Southeast Asian history or just life in rural indigenous communities, the book offers an immersive experience. It gives a fascinating case of how an indigenous tribe’s history ends up affecting the lives of its descendants in the present (much like how Native Americans have shaped the United States).
Through the words of Pedo’s grandfather, they can learn about how the headhunters of Borneo faced the horrors of WW2, training under Allied commandos to enhance their guerilla warfare tactics with a revived and brutal tradition of tribal warfare. Likewise, they also see how Pedo transitions from a village girl who had lived closer to the jungle to learning a different set of survival skills when she finds herself moving to the big city.
About the Author
The book is just one of two that Iwanski has published yet it once again demonstrates his talent for retelling people’s personal histories with a richly detailed flourish. It is a knack that comes from his background having fallen deep into the counterculture side of America (particularly the sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll variety).
Even to this day, he has a vivid memory of his rollercoaster life and now wants to use writing as invitation to others curious about the kind of mental pictures he paints with his words.
In his memoir Gravel Soldiers, he talks about his own life grappling with disillusionment while building up the resilience that saw him through hurdle after hurdle. But when it comes to The Headhunter’s Granddaughter, he doesn’t miss a beat either, unflinchingly sharing the details of one person’s hard life in a rural, indigenous village, as well as the impact of generational trauma and themes like spiritual discovery. Both cases show his determination to share the profound insights about the emotional and cultural landscapes that shape people’s lives.
Get the book today!
For readers who want a whole package of personal history, blended with that of a wider culture and that of even entire generations, The Headhunter’s Granddaughter is certainly a great pick. It has much to show, and much to teach. They can find it available at Barnes & Noble and Amazon.
