Full title: Child of the Jungle: The True Story of a Girl Caught Between Two Worlds by Sabine Kuegler
It is hard to conceive of two more divergent worlds than those inhabited by the Kuegler family. The parents, missionaries from Germany, wish to live among an Indonesian tribe, the Fayu, in the depths of the jungle. To the extent feasible, they strove to live in the same conditions as did their tribal neighbors, while adhering to the hygienic and sanitary standards of western societies.Thus, their hut, despite efforts at cleanliness, was subjected to the same insect and rodent infestations as were those around them. Instead of the usual childhood ailments, the Kuegler children caught malaria from the omnipresent mosquitoes and bats.
In terms of customs, the Fayu maintained clan blood feuds which continued for decades. Though marriages could be agreed with tact, it was not unusual for a girl of twelve or thirteen to be abducted and kept as a bride. Parents might not see a daughter for years if her kidnapping husband forbade it.
Eventually, they took a vacation to Germany. Increasing tribal wars had begun to render their lives among the Fayu more arduous.
Initially, the children felt restrained by the seemingly stringent rules of their grandparents’ home. Then, somewhat to her surprise, once back in Indonesia, Ms. Kuegler began to yearn for the freshly-brewed coffee, her grandmother’s home-baked bread, and the over-all comforts of modern life in a European country. At the same time, Violence among the Fayu became ever more menacing.
Ultimately, the Kuegler’s agreed their children should grow towards adulthood in Europe, where they were likely to settle. Therefore, heart-wrenching as they were at leaving friends they had known nearly all their lives, the Kuegler’s left Indonesia.
