The Farm by Joanne Ramos

The Farm

Joanne Ramos

The popular, easy-reading style hides depths of social prophecy: the scenario of high-end convenience surrogacy coupled with racial exploitation is all too believable. A happy ending, with all the threads neatly tied, doesn't detract from the trans-cultural strength of female loyalty. A page-turner that will make you think.

Extract
Ate's phone buzzes. On its screen is an image of a young Filipina, the daughter of one of the housekeepers in Forest Hills. Ate believes it might be a good fit for Ms. Yu. It is difficult to tell. Ate sent Ms. Yu several girls before Jane, all rejected. Ms. Yu did not tell her why. Ate didn't even consider Jane for Golden Oaks until she was fired from the Carters', when she became desperate- because how would Jane get another baby-nurse job without a recommendation? How could she support Amalia with nickels and dimes from her minimum wage?
It turned out for the best that Ate's first successful referral was Jane. Because Ate can keep tabs on her and give Ms. Yu information to help everything go smoothly. Ate believes it is because she is trustworthy in this way that Ms. Yu accepted Segundina. If Ate can prove herself to Ms. Yu, if Jane and Segundina deliver good babies, then this is only the beginning, and the money will be steady, and she can focus on Roy.
Parallels
  • A House for Happy Mothers by Amulya Malladi
  • On Beauty by Zadie Smith
  • What Red Was by Rosie Price

Guilty Pleasures