Raumanen, a prize-winning novel by Marianne Katoppo, tells the story of Monang, a handsome but wayward Batak man, and Raumanen, a young Minahasa woman who, though educated and intelligent, is also a `soft touch’ when it comes to love. As is deftly revealed by the author in this novel, even in modern day Indonesia, matters of religion and ethnicity can greatly affect—for better or worse—the course of a couple’s relationship.