Our Family Angel
Book Title: Daun yang Jatuh Tak Pernah Membenci Angin (Falling Leaves Never Hate the Wind)
Author: Tere Liye
Publisher: PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama
Print: December 29, 2016
Book Thickness: 264 pages; 20 cm
ISBN: 978-602-03-3160-7
Tere Liye is a name that is familiar to Indonesian readers. He has written some of the best Indonesian novels. Not only teenagers enjoy his works but also liked by adults. Even some movies adapting his works such as “Hapalan Solat Delisa” and “Moga Bunda Disayang Allah”. One novel by Tere Liye that is quite popular is “Daun yang Jatuh Tak Pernah Membenci Angin” (Falling Leaves Never Hate the Wind), with a romantic writing style and the use of beautiful diction typical of Tere Liye.
The novel “Daun yang Jatuh Tak Pernah Membenci Angin”, contains the conflicts experienced by the characters, like Danar, Tania, and other characters. The story begins when Tania and her sister, Dede, are singing on the City Bus. There, she met Danar, a kind-hearted young man who came like an angel to Tania’s family.
Living in poverty, Tania, Dede, and their mother must continue to struggle to support their families who only live in a cardboard house in a slum settlement. But everything changed when their family met Danar, a young man who financed all of Tania’s family’s needs so that their family could live properly.
Conflict arises when gradually Tania realizes her feelings for Danar. She feels jealous when Danar always gives his attention to Ratna, his girlfriend. The age difference between Danar and Tania which is quite far is one problem that the characters of Tania and Danar have to face, which also makes the story in this novel even more unique.
Another conflict arose when the characters Danar and Ratna got married, which made Tania miserable and decided not to attend their wedding. The peak of the conflict in this novel occurs when Ratna recognizes the change in Danar’s attitude since the two of them got married. Danar, who was deeply caring, becomes cold towards her.
Long story short, Danar’s character realizes his feelings for Tania. He recognizes the feelings of love he has for Tania. Tania knew this and asked Danar to forget about her and go back to spending her days with Ratna, who was pregnant with his child.
This novel has advantages in presenting the storyline and ending the story, which is unusual. So, this novel literally invites the curiosity of the reader to know the continuity of the story between Danar and Tania. Another advantage of this novel is the language used by Tere Liye is a casual language that is easy for readers to understand. Also, the use of beautiful diction adds a romantic impression to the story. In addition, this novel also contains a moral message that gives a benefit for the reader.
Besides having advantages, this novel also has disadvantages that lie in the cover design and the paper, which is less attractive. In addition, the stories presented are less able to be accepted by the reader’s mind because the stories occur infrequently in daily life. Another disadvantage of this novel is that it quickly cut the stories in some parts, making the reader a little confused.
Although it has several shortcomings, this novel is worth reading, considering the advantages of this novel and the moral values. These moral values such as manners in speaking, respecting parents, keep one’s temper, always remembering the good that others have done to us, always working hard, never give up, and other life values.