Now You See Us Review by Balli Kaur Jaswal
A cliched rendition of another live-in housemaid story
The story follows the lives of Cora, Angel, and Donita; three Filipino immigrants who have made Singapore their home. But their lives change when a friend has been falsely accused of murder – a classic tale of an innocent maid who has allegedly wronged their employer.
Each housemaid encounters a varied experience with their respective families – we are first introduced to Cora who works for the Lee family. Elizabeth Lee faces her own hardships: a wealthy widow who’s children have flown the nest. She longs for friendly companionship with Cora, encouraging her to attend events with her and even offering to assist at times with Cora’s tasks. Despite this, Cora feels alienated when such offers are made and she feels unwelcome in Elizabeth’s social circle. Cora also experiences guilt from leaving her nephew behind in the Philippines – a recurring theme in the book.
The second maid Donita is the polar opposite of Cora’s dignified manner. She’s feisty, unapologetic and has a rebellious spirit. Unfortunately for her, these are traits that aren’t welcome in the Fann household. Lady of the house, Poh Choo Fann questions Donita’s capability and antagonises her daily which causes Donita to grow resentful of her employer. Earlier in the novel, Donita secretly dates Sanjeev who she met online – one of the many defiant actions she takes in an effort to break free from her confining lifestyle. She also has a close friendship with Flordeliza, the maid accused of committing the heinous murder and she will go to great lengths to prove her innocence.
Angel is the third housemaid we meet: a queer maid who has recently broken off a long-term relationship with her partner. She has worked for the Vijays for many years but as the senior of the family grows elderly, their children begin to treat her poorly. They hire another maid to assist with the chores which puts Angel in a vulnerable position.
The novel consistently reaffirms the close bond between the three maids. Text messages become increasingly exchanged once the news has broken about Flordeliza’s arrest. While this is a touching sentiment, there is very little character development besides Donita who becomes infuriating as the book progresses. Her endless charade of ‘breaking the rules’ becomes redundant and painful to read at times. Angel and Cora have no development at all and eventually the whodunnit narrative becomes a ‘who cares’ story.
The Singaporean novelist was well-intentioned – she drew inspiration from multiple Filipino domestic workers who she interviewed to gain their perspectives of working within wealthy households. By creating three characters, she highlights their vulnerability in a foreign country and the exploitative measures they endure. These concepts are explored clearly and consistently throughout the book, which does paint the characters in a more sympathetic light. Her use of simile and descriptive language also never ceases to transport me to the beautiful sunset of Marina Bay Sands or the frangipani petals in the Botanic Gardens.
With that said, we barely explored the perspective of the employers’ other than their self-righteous attitudes (with the exception of Elizabeth Lee). These so-called villains felt one-dimensional with very little depth – there’s no reasoning given as to why they are all cruel to their maids. We are just left to our own understanding that these families are wealthy, therefore we should not empathise with them – but we should always empathise with the housemaid because they are poor.
This is the fifth novel Jaswal has released and it’s her latest novel.
