Set in the tumultuous days of the mid 1960s, The Dancer describes a village community struggling to adapt to a rapidly changing world. It also provides readers with a ground-level view of the political turmoil leading up to and following the abortive Communist coup. This trilogy of novels traces the lives of two characters: Srintil, a dancer whose unwritting involvement with the region's leftist propaganda machine, sets her at odds with Rasus, the love of her life, who embraces Islam and finds a career in the army.