Review of THE STORY OF US by Catherine Hernandez (New Release)

4 Stars 

Recently, my husband and I have been enjoying the crime drama Almost Paradise which is filmed in the Philippines and offers a peek at Filipino culture.  This novel offers more of an in depth look.

MG (Mary Grace) Concepcion is an Overseas Filipino Worker.  She leaves her husband Ale to become a nanny in Hong Kong.  When she learns about a Canadian immigration program, which allows someone to apply for permanent residency in the country after two years of employment as a caregiver, she moves to Toronto.  Her goal is to become a permanent resident and then sponsor her husband so they can build a better life for themselves.  She works as a nanny but eventually takes a position as a personal support worker caring for Liz Cahill, an elderly trans woman suffering from Alzheimer’s.  This job challenges her conservative values, but slowly a friendship develops. 

The narrator is MG’s newborn baby speaking directly to Liz.  The baby tells Liz her mother’s story which she knows intimately because “I have lived for years as a seed in the ovaries of my mother while my mother gestated in the body of my [grandmother].”  But she also speaks of her own experiences as a Maybe Baby (an unfertilized egg) and as a fetus.  I was reminded of William Wordsworth’s “Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood” which relies on the concept of pre-existence and suggests that children, as they mature, lose their connection with the divine.   MG’s child begins by stating that “The former me, the real me, is fading by the second and there are things I remember, at this very moment and never will again” and “the more I come into this new body of mine, the less I will remember.”

MG is a sympathetic character.  She sacrifices so much and works so hard in order to help her family in the Philippines.  When looking after challenging children, she is very patient.  Likewise, she is patient with Liz who can be difficult at times.  I love dynamic characters, and MG proves to be one.  She takes the job of caring for a bakla because she desperately needs employment and remembers a priest saying that homosexuals should not be judged.  She believes she will be fine “As long as this person didn’t force her into living this perverse lifestyle.”  Looking after Liz takes some adjustment:  “She made mistakes with you, Liz.  Lots of mistakes.  She treated you like a nuisance. . . . Your confusion frustrated her.  Maybe even angered her.  . . . [MG was] an efficient engine to meet your most basic needs [as if] you were like a houseplant.  Nothing more.”  A visit from Ash, one of Liz’s friends, begins MG’s transformation.  Ash says, "'I don’t truly know what life is like for you, but I imagine in your line of work, people don’t often see you as a human being with needs and feelings, am I right?  But you deserve to be treated with respect.  It’s the same with Liz.  She deserves to be seen as a person.’”  MG does get to know Liz and learns about her life and accomplishments.  Her attitude changes and she becomes Liz’s friend and protector who tries to shield her from anyone whom she fears might treat her with less than respect. 

The novel gives insights into the challenges faced by temporary foreign workers like MG.  They leave families behind, often not seeing them for years, so are lonely and isolated.  Ash is correct in describing them as largely invisible.  They are often exploited; for instance, one of MG’s employers offers to let MG look after another couple’s children as well as her own but then keeps the money intended to pay MG for this extra work.  “’Some families kick their nannies out on the weekend and they have to find a place to stay.  So the nannies pool their money to rent a place together.’”  Because they need these jobs, the caregivers cannot speak out.   Their options are limited to “’Either endure the work or go.’” 

This is a thought-provoking book, exposing the struggles of both foreign workers and members of the LGTBQ community.  (It reminded me of the news stories I read about how Filipino healthcare workers bore the brunt of the COVID pandemic:  in Quebec and Ontario, Filipino healthcare workers in hospitals, long-term care facilities, and private homes are believed to be the first such workers to die due to the pandemic.)

There is much to like about this book:  interesting plot, memorable characters, and thematic depth.  It addresses serious topics, but the unique narrator also adds touches of humour.  I will certainly be recommending it to people.

Note:  I received a digital galley from the publisher via NetGalley.