A landmark novel, The Weaverbirds is a tale of both physical and spiritual struggle, spanning the formative days of Indonesian independence and the Indonesian oil crisis in the mid-1970s. Larasati, the precocious daughter of Mr and Mrs Antana, and Setadewa, the army-brat son of Captain and Mrs Brajabasuki, are childhood playmates, but as adults they find themselves on opposite sides of the political spectrum. The tactics that these two very different individuals adopt in dealing with the problems that beset their country and their personal relationship offer guidance to survival in a chaotic world.