Beauty is a Wound

Beauty is a wound is a novel by Indonesian author Eka Kurniawan that intertwines the themes of beauty, tragedy, and the complexities of human relationships against the backdrop of Indonesian history.

The story revolves around the life of a beautiful woman named Dewi Ayu, who returns from the dead to witness the lives of her family and the impact of her beauty on those around her. The novel explores the intersections of love, loss, and the socio-political landscape of Indonesia.

Dewi Ayu, a woman of extraordinary beauty, dies and is buried in her hometown. However, she rises from the grave to observe the lives of her children and the community, revealing the dark and often tragic consequences of her beauty and the historical events that shape their lives.