Lipa, Philippines, 2001. Neneng is 11 when her mother, Rosa, leaves to work as a nurse overseas: abandoning Neneng to care for an indifferent father, unstable relatives and rebellious siblings. Their home shatters, and Neneng finds herself facing womanhood alone. From that point on, she vows not to follow the future that is laid out for her, and never to trust her mother again. But Neneng is more like the strong-minded Rosa than she realises. As she fights to find love and build a new life, the darknesses in the family's past come to light, and the reasons why Rosa needed to leave become clearer. When a twist of fate brings a new mother figure into her orbit, Neneng will come to understand why the profession of nursing matters so deeply to Rosa and - when crisis strikes - what 'care' means.
- Language
- English
- Publisher
- Chatto & Windus
- ISBN
- 9781784746117