Birgit Treipl

Even Without Blood is a profoundly moving debut novel that captures the resilience of a young boy named Victor, who was orphaned at the age of eight on the brink of World War II and labelled an enemy of the state. Based on a true story of familial displacement spanning Indonesia, Austria, Holland, and Canada, this novel was originally published in Dutch as Schuilen tussen bamboe by HarperCollins Holland and praised by Dutch readers as a compelling page-turner.

Java, 1939.

Victor, the only child of an Austrian couple who settled in Java (a Dutch colony until 1949) in 1910, is born into a life of privilege. However, his world is shattered when he loses both parents at the age of eight, just before the outbreak of World War II. Due to Austria’s annexation by the German Empire, Victor’s family is suddenly labelled an enemy of the state by the Dutch government. As a result, their possessions, including Grand Hotel Lembang, are seized. Family members are sent to Dutch camps, while Victor and his aunt are interned in an isolated mountain village.

As Victor matures, a hidden family secret of infidelity and his own illicit origins come to light, leading him to a profound search for identity.

At twenty-five, amidst political turmoil in Indonesia, Victor makes the life-altering decision to leave his homeland for Europe, embarking on a transformative journey that ultimately leads him to the love of his life.

From a lively child, Victor learns to become invisible in a world where silence is survival. This instinct, protecting himself and his loved ones, ultimately becomes a hindrance, leading to physical illness. Victor must find his voice. You will come to love Victor as he grows from a vulnerable child into a resilient man. You fear for him, mourn with him and share in his triumphs. His relationship with his aunt Hilda-a complex, determined, and generous woman-is a constant source of love, guilt, discovery, and support throughout the war.

Even Without Blood is based on a true yet untold story, revealing a little-known chapter of WWII history. It explores the complex intersections of colonialism, political upheaval, the decolonization of Indonesia, and the profound impact these forces had on families.

This novel weaves together the colonial history depicted in Heather B. Moore’s Under the Java Moon, the vivid civilian wartime experiences portrayed in Mark Sullivan’s Beneath a Scarlet Sky, and the complexities of familial displacement explored in Janika Oza’s A History of Burning.