Christina Godshalk debuted in 1998 with her sole novel, penned after a twenty-year sojourn in Southeast Asia. Set on Borneo, the work offers a romanticized account of James Brooke's expedition to Sarawak. The author explores themes of colonialism and cultural encounters, imbuing the narrative with the exoticism of distant lands. Her style is vivid and evocative, capturing the atmosphere of faraway places.
'Kalimantaan' - the old name for Borneo - tells of the founding of a small empire by an extraordinary man and a handful of his followers. Within 10 years Gideon Barr conquers an area the size of England and Wales, but the personal cost is enormous.