Ikal is one of the ten students of the Muhamaddiyah School, the oldest and poorest school in the Indonesian tinmining island of Belitong. Like him, his classmates are from the most downtrodden families in the region. But the school has two weaponsits teacher Bu Mus, a slight fifteenyearold girl with burning courage and a passion for education, and Lintang, the boy genius who inspires his classmates to dream and fight their destiny. Soon the islands underdogs become its champions.

Incredibly moving and full of hope, The Rainbow Troops swept Indonesia off its feet, selling over five million copies and becoming the highestselling book in its history. It will sweep you away too.

Andrea Hirata is an Indonesian writer. He was a fellow in the International Writers Program at the University of Iowa, 2010. His first novel, The Rainbow Troops (published in Indonesia in 2005 as Laskar Pelangi), sold more than 5 million copies and will be sold in over 25 countries, making him the countrys bestselling writer ever and its first to enjoy international popular success. The film adaptation of Laskar Pelangi, released in 2008, went on to become the highest ever grossing film in Indonesia. Hiratas short story Dry Season appeared in New York Universitys Washington Square Review. His work inspired choreography by CityDance Ensemble, Washington, DC in 2010. Hirata has written three sequels to The Rainbow TroopsSang Pemimpi (The Dreamer), Edensor and Maryamah Karpov. He lives in Indonesia.