You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
A very different look at Singapore from Kevin Kwan's humorous stories, this is seen through the eyes of the Filipina domestic workers who may see and work within the world of wealth and luxury, but never share in it. This follows three women, two experienced and one new to foreign domestic work, as they navigate new employment positions and some impossible employers. As difficult as this is, they are stunned to learn a fellow worker is being charged with the murder of her employer, and realize how easily any of them could be in the same place and helpless to fight back. It is with this realization that they begin to join forces and look for the truth the police seem indifferent to.
This is certainly a whole world of relationships I am completely unfamiliar with, so was quite fascinating. It is naturally very easy to identify with the workers. Some of the employers are quite mad. The rich truly are different. The three women are very different from each other, very different voices and motivations, and these are what drive the plot rather than the mystery. There is absolutely nothing predictable in this book. Just when I thought I knew where it was going, it went off in another direction, never a dull moment. Very interesting and grand conclusion. Highly recommend.
This is certainly a whole world of relationships I am completely unfamiliar with, so was quite fascinating. It is naturally very easy to identify with the workers. Some of the employers are quite mad. The rich truly are different. The three women are very different from each other, very different voices and motivations, and these are what drive the plot rather than the mystery. There is absolutely nothing predictable in this book. Just when I thought I knew where it was going, it went off in another direction, never a dull moment. Very interesting and grand conclusion. Highly recommend.
Finished most of the book on a lazy Sunday. Had the thrills and spills of Erotic Stories but was not as spooky or funny. Maybe I scare less now.
Perfect beachside read - very fun, very well-researched.
Perfect beachside read - very fun, very well-researched.
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I loved loved loved this book so much. It’s so beautifully written and so well researched, I felt like I was in Singapore experiencing these events. The characters are so interesting and I was so invested in their stories. I wish there was more of Cora and Elizabeth but other than that it was so fantastic. I learnt so much from this book.
adventurous
informative
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I really enjoy fun books about heavy topics done well, and this one totally qualifies. I enjoyed it more than Kaur Jaswal's previous hit Erotic Novels for Punjabi Widows, which was good enough to make me want to pick this one up. The novel centers around three Filipino maids working in Singapore, and their involvement in trying to investigate when another maid is accused of murder. The three women - one in her 20s, one in her 30s and one in her 40s - face different challenges in work and life, and the book uses this to shed light on the worlds of foreign domestic workers, who often work 16 hour days, are underfed and have their movements and relationships tightly controlled. And yest, even given the shocking conditions, many are able to pull families out of desperate poverty as a result. Kaur Jaswal also touches on Duterte and the impact of his state driven violence on the economically vulnerable.
But this, despite the topic, is a feel good novel where you are justified in knowing the ending for our characters will leave them happier than before, and where the friendships between them - and the FDW community in general - provide much of the heart of the book. There is no lingering in misery, and scenes focus on resistance and rebellion (even of the silent mental kind) over the drama of abuse.
There were a few minor pacing issues in the middle of the book - caused in part by the number of threads, all fascinating, Kaur Jasawl gives us, but overall I really loved this and will be digging out her earlier books in the hope they are this good.
But this, despite the topic, is a feel good novel where you are justified in knowing the ending for our characters will leave them happier than before, and where the friendships between them - and the FDW community in general - provide much of the heart of the book. There is no lingering in misery, and scenes focus on resistance and rebellion (even of the silent mental kind) over the drama of abuse.
There were a few minor pacing issues in the middle of the book - caused in part by the number of threads, all fascinating, Kaur Jasawl gives us, but overall I really loved this and will be digging out her earlier books in the hope they are this good.
medium-paced
Better to read it, rather than listen to it. It's not as suspenseful as I anticipated, which could have been due to the narrator.
dark
informative
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I enjoyed this a lot. Overall informative about an area which I did not know anything about. I enjoy Jaswal's writing and her ability to weave a revealing and prevalent story.
Learned so much about Singapore, the Philippines, and the migrant domestic work community in SE Asia. Wow.