Book Review of The Dohmestics
Author:
Mohanalakshmi Rajakumar
Sponsored by Innovative Book Tours
Welcome to Books, Books, and More Books. I am pleased to share my review of this book
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Blurb
:
Edna,
Amira, and Noof are neighbors but that doesn't mean they know what happens
behind closed doors or that they have anything in common with their hired help.Maria, Maya, and Lillie live in the same compound as their employers but that's where the similarities begin and end.
There's never a dull moment for anyone in this desert emirate.
The unending gossip and unrelenting competition may be business as usual for expatriate communities but the unspoken secrets threaten to destroy life as everyone knows it.
++
About the
Author:
Mohanalakshmi Rajakumar is a
South Asian American who has lived in Qatar since 2005. Moving to the Arabian
Desert was fortuitous in many ways since this is where she met her husband, had
a baby, and made the transition from writing as a hobby to a full time
passion. She has since published five e-books including a mom-ior for
first time mothers, Mommy But Still Me, a guide for aspiring writers, So
You Want to Sell a Million Copies, a short story collection, Coloured
and Other Stories, and a novel about women’s friendships, Saving Peace.
Most recently, From Dunes to Dior, is a collection of essays related to
her experiences as a female South Asian American living in the Arabian Gulf. After
she joined the e-book revolution, she dreams in plotlines. Learn more about her
work on her website at www.mohanalakshmi.com or follow her latest on Twitter: @moha_doha.
Contacts:
ONLINE LINKS:
·
Website http://www.mohanalakshmi.com/
·
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/themohadoha
·
Twitter @moha_doha
BUY NOW LINK:
·
Amazon
Excerpt:
“Alice,” she called from the front porch. There were several
pieces of discarded sidewalk chalk around the bottom step. Edna picked these
up, along with Alice’s abandoned sandals.
“Oh hi,” Edna said. Maria was the complete opposite of Maya:
lively, cracking jokes and keeping up with Hamad, one of the most active
toddlers Edna had ever seen. People said boys were like that and she had to
take them at their word, having only had Alice. “Thanks.” She wondered if Alice
had seen Maria and Hamad, as the younger boy was one of her favorite playmates
because of their shared love of swimming. Edna contemplated walking to the
playground, which was in the opposite direction of where Maria was going, or
joining the maid to get the latest news from her end of the compound. It was
amazing how much she knew — and scary. Another reason she preferred not to employ
domestic help. But as the sun was setting, chances were Noof would be home
soon. Her friend did not understand Edna’s fascination with Maria or with the
secondary lives of the maids in the compound. She would not appreciate seeing
Edna on a walk with Maria without Alice. As she stepped off the porch in the
other direction, Edna kept scanning the street.
A few steps later Maria stopped and took a deep breath.
Anyone would need a few breaths with a screaming two year old boy, and with
that one in particular could be granted many, depending on the day. She did a
brisk round of the block and though there was a gaggle of children, mothers,
and minders at the playground, there was no sight of Alice.
When she came back to her street, Maria hadn’t moved and Hamad
was soothing himself with his thumb.
“Are you okay?”
The maid’s drawn face was her answer. Edna caught up with
her and led Maria by the arm to one of Alice’s play chairs. The wood was sturdy
enough to hold an adult. Out of habit, she put the back of her hand on Maria’s
forehead, checking if she had a temperature. No heat there.
“Tired?”
Maria was tight-lipped and her skin waxen. A few beads of sweat appeared on her forehead though October brought the cooler temperatures. The maid normally took great care with her grooming unlike some of the older ones at Noof’s mother’s house. But today her hair was knotted and hung down her back. The black mass slipped free of the braid the maid coiled at the nape of her neck every other day Edna saw her. Dark hairs were at the corners of her mouth and Edna could see stray eyebrow hair appearing across her brows. Other than when she babysat for them, often in sweats, Maria was immaculately dressed every Friday morning when she walked to the Tagalog service at the Catholic church, wearing black jeans and an Ed Hardy t-shirt. Edna wondered if she had been poorly for some time.
“Would you like some water?”
Maria opened her mouth to answer but bolted up suddenly,
nearly clipping Edna under the chin. She ran to a nearby bush, bent over at the
waist and began retching. Despite the
horrendous sounds, nothing was materializing.
Review
Wow,
what an eye-opening experience this book was. The peek into the lives of the
wives, nannies, and servants of another culture. In California, particularly my house, the idea of having a live in maid/chef/nanny
is a dream many a new mother has, but then reality sets in and she moves
on. While some people might have a live
in nanny to help with children when both parents work, since it’s about the
same or cheaper than full time daycare, we tend to treat them as members of the
family. This view of the position of a
maid/nanny is very different.
Each of
the women in this story show a different side to the same story. The story is told in a quasi-omniscient form
so that we could see what two of the main character think and act.
I found
it an interesting look into the “help” in a new light. I give this book 4 out of 5 clouds.
This
product or book may have been distributed for review; this in no way affects my
opinions or reviews.
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