A Woman of Independence: A Story of Love and the Birth of a New Nation

by Kirsty Sword Gusmão

From her first visit to East Timor in 1990, Kirsty Sword fell in love with the country and its people and became determined to help them in their seemingly hopeless struggle for independence. Little did she know then where her passion for the cause would lead her.

Over the next decade, Kirsty worked as an undercover activist in Jakarta, becoming an increasingly valuable operative within the East Timorese independence movement. In 1994 her work brought her into contact with the jailed leader of the resistance movement, the charismatic Xanana Gusmao. Through their letters, smuggled in and out his prison, they fell in love. This unlikely but remarkable romance, no less passionate for their being so forcibly separated, was further tested when Kirsty was compelled to flee Indonesia one step ahead of its feared intelligence service. It was not until the fall of President Suharto and Xanana's subsequent release from prison that Kirsty was finally reunited with the revered independence leader.

Working beside Xanana, Kirsty found herself at the very centre of the epic events that saw East Timor freed from Indonesian the vote for independence, the militia groups' murderous rampage that followed, the intervention of Australian and international peacekeeping forces, and the slow and painful rebuilding of a devastated country. Today, the former guerrilla commander and the activist live together as president and first lady, with their two children, in a country where fear has been replaced by hope.

A Woman of Independence is the story of an incredible love affair, and the passion and courage it takes to free a nation.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Kirsty Sword Gusmão foi a primeira-dama da República Democrática de Timor-Leste, casada com o ex-Presidente Xanana Gusmão. A ex-primeira-dama é a fundadora e diretora da Fundação Alola, que procura melhorar a vida das mulheres de Timor-Leste, a nação com menor PIB per capita do mundo.

Na Wikipédia consta que Kirsty Gusmão é australiana e timorense.

Reviews

[Jacqui · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was hard to rate, because I was interested intellectually, but I had to force myself to read it!

[Francesca Forrest · Rating 4 out of 5]

(This review is a slightly shortened version of my review on Livejournal)

One curse of a life of intense action is that you may not have much time for reflection, not much time to take stock. You’re too busy doing. This certainly seems to be the case for Kirsty Sword Gusmão, who plunged into activism on behalf of occupied East Timor in the 1990s and didn’t emerge for air until—well, ever. There has always been, and continues to be, just too much to do.

A Woman of Independence captures this perfectly—the rush from one thing to the next, the clamor of small matters demanding attention while momentous matters loom in the background:

My whole day had been taken up with the petty problems of the rapazes [boys]. It was a tiny job really, this passing on of information between various parties, but it felt big and time-consuming enough to prevent me from articulating and recording my own thoughts and responses to the events unfolding around me.

Those events being, in this case, her impending visit (in 1995), on behalf of the imprisoned independence leader Xanana, to guerrilla commanders out in the field. And very soon she’s on her way to attempt that meeting, stopping to give a letter from Xanana to the wife of one of the guerrilla commanders:

[Olinda] wore the years of physical hardship and the pain of separation from her husband on her face. Nevertheless, as I handed her the envelope from Xanana, I noticed that her eyes gleamed with satisfaction, a tear threatening to escape down her bony cheeks. She had spent many years in the bush herself, having given birth to her son, Benvindo, in a guerrilla encampment in 1986. The food shortages and absence of medical attention led her and [her husband] Aluc to decide to place the infant in the care of Aluc’s father in Los Palos town. But the child was kidnapped en route by an Indonesian lieutenant-colonel who no doubt wished to use Aluc’s boy as a bargaining chip in the effort to force the Falintil to surrender. Olinda had not seen the boy since.

What makes Kirsty perfect for this life is that she’s willing to give herself entirely to the cause. It seems to be what’s required of revolutionaries and nation builders. A year earlier, after meeting his grown children (by his first wife) after years of separation, Xanana wrote to Kirsty,

I talked to them about the struggle, about my guerrillas’ suffering, so that they could get from me, not the reminiscing of a ‘resuscitated father,’ but the sense of the ongoing demands of ‘a patria’—the homeland. I couldn’t carry you constantly in my thoughts, I told them. I couldn’t dedicate a place in my heart to you because my guerrillas also had forgotten everything and had suffered more than myself.

And Kirsty too, when she learns she’s been banned from returning to Indonesia, thinks first of her work and the cause, and second of her chance to see Xanana:

What would this development mean for my job, for my work for East Timor and for my prospects of being able to see Xanana again? To my surprise, the thought that caused me the greatest pang of grief and remorse was that of not being able to visit Indonesia again. Since my first trip to the country in the early eighties, hardly a year had gone by that I hadn’t travelled to a different part of Indonesia, renewing old friendships and making new ones, filling the holes in my understanding of the complex and diverse nation … The thought that this was the end of the road caused me to wince. I was assailed by a profound sense of loss.

It’s maybe not surprising that the area in which Kirsty offers the most reflection and insight is the area that she’s been most involved in, most continuously: education. In 1993, working with Timorese young people in Indonesia, she reflects:

Over the years of my involvement in the East Timor struggle it had occurred to me that in many ways, this deliberate uprooting of the youth and the denial of their right to education was an even more insidious aspect of the Indonesian campaign of genocide than the murder and rape. More insidious because it was subtle, its effects enduring, and it robbed almost an entire generation of the opportunity and the means to contribute meaningfully to the life of the pátria, that almost mythical sovereign ‘homeland,’ which they knew only through the speeches and exhortations of their leaders.

This is a theme she returns to after independence. Walking through the rubble of Dili in 1999, she has the following thoughts:

Almost half East Timor’s population were young people. I found it disturbing to see so many unemployed youths on the street, with no chance of an education or of participating in reconstruction projects that required skills they didn’t have. Even recreational activities beyond the occasional soccer or volleyball match were denied them. I decided to set up a reading room. I wanted it to be a place people felt comfortable to visit, not daunted by, so a library wasn’t the answer. I wanted to create a place that would promote a love of reading and foster pride in the culture and fighting spirit of the people of my new home.

Overall, though, what’s best about A Woman of Independence are the hundreds of dramatic encounters and interactions that Kirsty describes—a revolution from the inside, recounted in vivid detail.

[Suzanne Kiraly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this story of Kirsty's life. In particular, her early adventures in Indonesia and her initial meeting with Xanana Gusmau and her eventual passion for the man and his cause, We follow her to East Timor, where the most important chapter of her life begins. She is articulate, empathetic with the people of East Timur and highly proactive in causes to help her people. I've heard her speak and her ability to connect is no less in speaking, than it is in writing. I highly recommend her book.

[Chiro Pipashito T H · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fine memoir- took me to the author's activism for an impoverished part of Indonesia suffering from brutal oppression while its leader was in jail. Kristy's love affair was not only limited to the country and its people but also with its leader Mr Xanana Gusmao - which flourished while he was still in jail. Kirsty's selfless struggle for a people far away from her own country is astounding. Likewise, Mr Gumao's efforts to restore peace and build a new country from the scratch are sensational beyond words. Just like so many other countries in the world, East Timore gained her independence at the cost of human sufferings and blood. This book could certainly be a reference point for any researcher as well.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an exceptional woman. And what a terrible history Timor Leste has had at the hands of Indonesian troops. This should be compulsory reading - and I am now looking for a copy of "Alias Ruby Blade", the DVD.

[Goldenwattle]

I read a reasonable proportion of the book, but I did not find the writing held great interest for me. Then I went away for a couple of weeks and when I returned I had no incentive to pick the book up again and finish it.

[Jane Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

The inspiring story of Kirsty Sword Gusmmao, the first lady of East Timor. In this, she tells how she fell in love with Xanana, and the long and difficult journey they took together as they fought for East Timor's independence. It's an amazing story of courage and sacrifice. What makes this woman even more incredible is that she's born and raised from my generation in Australia. While most of us were out there "finding ourselves" Kirsty was out there risking everything for a "country" and people many had never even heard of, and falling in love with a man who would always put his cause first. She's an amazing woman and this really comes across in her book.

[Sharon Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

The riveting story of one woman's role in the birth of a new nation. Kirsty Sword Gusmao tells a story of hardship, hope, love, joy and, ultimately, triumph. I found myself almost living the fear, heartache and joy. An amazing account by a truly amazing and inspirational woman. If you like reading about strong women, this book will fit the bill nicely.

[Jennifer Webb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. The story of Melbourne-born Kirsty Sword and her dedication to the cause of East Timor's freedom which led her to becoming the country's First Lady. Although the topic was not something I normally take an interest to it was a great read and really opened my eyes up to a culture which is difficult to imagine when you've grown up in Australia.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting read for me. I work with on a capacity building project with Timorese nationals. The background was invaluable for me, in puttinig into perspective the roles of some of the major players in Timor Leste's development today...

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing book. I read this prior to a work trip to Timor-Leste and was so glad I did. She showed such amazing dedication to her future husband and country. So much admiration for her and the Timorese

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Autobiography of East Timor first lady, who is from Australia and helped the East Timor independence movement.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story of an inspiring woman. It drags a bit in the middle with her accounts of the developing romance during Xanana's time in prison, but a wonderful insight into a turbulent time.