Saman is a story seen through the lives of its feisty female protagonists – Cok, a businesswoman; Laila, a 30-year-old writer/photographer; Shakuntala, a dancer; and Yasmin, a lawyer – as well as the enigmatic hero Saman, a catholic priest turned human rights activist. The author was born in Bogor, grew up in Jakarta and obtained a B.A. in literature from the University of Indonesia. She worked as a journalist for Matra, Forum Keadilan, and D&R. Not long after the New Order regime closed ...