Review by Booklist Review
Jaswal (The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters, 2019) presents a tale about three Filipino domestic workers in Singapore. In her fifties, Corazon is a longtime helper who sticks to her routines and observes boundaries. Angel is a lesbian with a broken heart, who mostly keeps to herself and plans to become a nurse's assistant. Donita is a feisty newbie who skirts around the unspoken rules of the job and does whatever she wants. A suspicious death riles the wealthy neighborhood in which they all work, and the blame is pinned on Flordeliza, the household maid. Though busy with their own problems, as the news spreads across social media, the women are propelled to act when they uncover critical details that convince them that Flordeliza may be innocent. Jaswal's well-crafted novel blends mystery, social commentary, and human drama into a fascinating amalgam that highlights the plight of decidedly unseen women undertaking cheap labor that exposes them to all sorts of abuse. The story feels authentic and is timely as it portrays enterprising women and the unfortunate circumstances that galvanize them.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
This arresting novel from Jaswal (The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters) focuses on three vulnerable Filipina women who provide domestic labor to upper-class Singapore households. Cora, a seasoned worker, struggles with a kind, well-meaning employer, whose manipulative daughter is a source of trouble. Donita bristles at the abusive control exerted by her church leader, especially when it interferes with the relationship she pursues on her days off. And Angel takes care of her disabled employer while continuing to mourn a bad breakup with another woman. The three stay connected via a shared online chat after an incident in which they were briefly accused of shoplifting together. Despite the risks, they are galvanized into investigative action when another maid whom Donita knows is accused of murdering her employer by a police department only looking for the most obvious suspect. Jaswal effectively balances the murder mystery plot and the dramas of the individual women; they each take agency over their own lives and find, if not truly happy endings, at least satisfying ones. This sympathetic, humane look at low-paid domestic workers will resonate with many. Agent: Anna Power, Johnson & Alcock. (Mar.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
Experienced Corazon hides a secret from her rich employer, while high-spirited newcomer Donita labors for the demanding Mrs. Fann and heartsore caretaker Angel worries that she's about to be replaced. They're Filipina domestic workers in Singapore, on high alert when one of their own is accused of murdering her employer. From Singapore-born Jaswal, whose Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows was a Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick; with a 75,000-copy first printing.
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A Filipina domestic worker is accused of murdering her employer in Singapore. Corazon Bautista, who was once an advocate for workers like her, has returned to Singapore after a spell in the Philippines, older and wearier after having suffered a devastating loss in her home country. She is placed with Elizabeth Lee, a widow whose compassion causes Cora more complications than she could have imagined. Her old friend Angel has a broken heart and her own set of challenges, especially from the college-aged son of her longtime employers. But Cora's and Angel's troubles are no match for those of proud, young, persistent Donita, who's stuck working for the vicious Mrs. Fann, whose cruelty has communitywide ripple effects. When the news breaks that a woman named Carolyn Hong has been murdered and Flordeliza Martinez, her maid, has been taken into custody, Cora, Angel, and Donita find their position in Singaporean society has become even more precarious overnight. They shouldn't get involved given their pasts and their present circumstances, but the mystery of what really happened and who's to blame engulfs them anyway. Author Jaswal weaves this captivating story with superb skill. Cora, Angel, and Donita are engaging characters with rich inner lives and personal histories. Their relationships with each other; their employers and the Republic of Singapore; and their families and homeland provide extraordinary texture to the violent crime at the story's center. The novel doesn't shy away from contemporary politics but doesn't preach, either. Rather, it examines the lives of people who are part of a complex, often exploitative global system that devalues the lives of women and the profound responsibilities that are classified as women's work--the rules these women must abide, both spoken and unspoken, their hopes and aspirations, and their varied grief. It's a layered, compelling read. This novel explores the lives of maids and caregivers in Singapore with admirable craft and care. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
