ReviewIndonesian short story collection by domestic helpers gives new perspective on their lives in Asian cities

Love, loss, beastly employers and caring ones – At A Moment’s Notice gathers fictional stories by helpers in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Taiwan

The 23 translated stories present voices rarely heard in English until now, and show that, for these women, leaving home is about more than just earning money

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At a Moment’s Notice is a collection of short stories by former Indonesian domestic helpers in which they draw on their experiences working in Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and Malaysia. Photo: Edward Wong

Published: 7:45am, 9 May 2019Updated: 7:57pm, 9 May 2019

At A Moment’s Notice: Indonesian Maids Write on Their Lives Abroad, edited by Jafar Suryomenggolo, NIAS Press, 4/5 stars

Hong Kong’s community of Indonesian domestic workers has grown rapidly, doubling since 2000. By 2017, they accounted for almost 45 per cent of the 360,000 registered domestic workers in the city. Although Hong Kong residents and visitors might see them on the streets on Sundays – their one day off each week – their voices and stories go unheard for the most part. A collection of short stories written by Indonesian domestic helpers offers a window on their lives.

Translated and edited by Jafar Suryomenggolo, the 23 fictional stories in At A Moment’s Notice are written by women who are now almost all back home in Indonesia. The tales draw on their experiences working in Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and Malaysia. Most are set in Hong Kong, and they offer a new perspective on the city.

Given the string of cases of abuse against Indonesian helpers, beginning with Erwiana Sulistyaningsih in 2014, I began reading with some trepidation, but it’s soon clear that is not Jafar’s agenda. He has chosen a wide selection of stories, and begins gently with The Jade Bracelet (Mega Vristian), a heart-warming story about a helper who is truly part of a local family and enmeshed in their secrets.

The stories in At A Moment’s Notice tell of women who leave their children behind in Indonesia to work abroad. Photo: Nora Tam

The second story, A, Ne, Ge (Maria Bo Niok) is about a helper who goes beyond the call of duty in her care for a 55-year-old woman left partially paralysed after a stroke. These two stories set the tone – this isn’t a book aimed at deriding beastly employers, though that does come.