Book: Footprints in the Paddy Fields

I am a greedy person. I just can't get enough of books, and will never stop as long as I can get my hands on it. I knew I should have made a simple review of mine from the heaps of books that I bought since the MV Doulous harboured in KK, to the ones that I looted from Bookxcess months ago. It's just that, I don't know how, where to start. But this particular one, laying invitingly on the dining table caught my attention. I grabbed it, sit and read every pages over my hot tea one by one. Each and every pages makes me don't want to stop and before long, I finished the whole book; now eager to make a review of it to share with you all.


Footprints In The Paddy Field, is a reflection of a family portrait and a childhood memory by Tina Kisil, of life dated back to the 50's and 60's in British North Borneo, now known as Sabah. Days where most Dusun people still live in the bamboo huts; where buffaloes, gongs are known as prized possessions; hardworking young maidens are consider as the sought after ones rather than the pretty, delicate ones by suitors into a family; preserving some of the old Dusun beliefs and customs, animism still lurks in the society even during the Christian missionaries already made their way to live among the Borneo people.

As you read page by page, the writer brings you back to an amazing journey how she lives her life with her siblings and parents during that time like a time machine, carefully detailed on each and everything as far as she could remember. Her thoughts, her feelings and things that she saw through her eyes. Thirty-five years later, she lives with her own family in Kota Kinabalu, dedicated her life to countless numbers of students, so as to appreciate the value of education that she once had limited access on.

I am proud to say, the writer is my own aunt. Her uncle that she mentioned living with in the book is my paternal grandfather, who married to her aunt, her father's sister. By reading this book, I found myself seeing another side of the family that I am not that familiar of, and also a little knowledge of my heritage from my grandmother's side. Perhaps, just perhaps....who knows I would be inspired to write a family memoir on my own someday? =p

Anyway, I am reviewing this book is not because of the writer has a family relation with me. It just this book is a doorway for you out there, who wanted to learn more about how the Dusun people live back then, where photos are only taken in black and white, where a 5 dollar note can mean so much to a big family (now I believe my late father used to tell me how much 10 dollars can buy).

For us, the younger generations to have a glimpse how hard life must be back then, no electricity, gas or tap water...or telephone, internet, everything the luxury that we enjoyed now, and be grateful for the things we have that they don't have during those times.

If you wish to have a copy of this book, please visit to your nearest MPH Bookstore and enjoy the journey that I had. Happy reading!