Across oceans and generations, 'Soil and Blood' recounts the poignant story of Lea Goessling, an Indo-Dutch woman born in colonial Sumatra, where love, faith, and tragedy are woven into her life.

The daughter of a Dutch official and an aristocratic woman in Mukomuko, a rantau belonging to the Greater Minangkabau Realm, Lea navigates two worlds amid the chaos of war and the quiet strength of endurance. Her journey from the tranquil Mukomuko in Indonesia to the distant Netherlands becomes a lasting quest for belonging, truth, and peace.

Decades later, her granddaughters discover a wooden chest containing her secret writings. What begins as a simple family curiosity becomes a deep revelation, uncovering hidden histories, love, and a strong intergenerational bond. Each page they find brings the past back to life, strengthening their connection to their roots and the land that shaped their family’s destiny.

Hayay Barak’s Soil and Blood is touching, emotionally resonant, and rich in history.

It explores themes of identity, memory, and the lasting connection between people and their lands. The work shows how the past never fully disappears; it remains rooted in the soil beneath us and within our blood.