Zielfa B. Maslin

It was at the start of my retirement from paid employment as an occupational therapist in the early 2000 that I was able to pursue my long held desire to write. Moved and enraged by stories I heard about the callous treatment of Pilipino domestic workers that I was in contact with in England, I started to consider people in this trade. I was also encouraged by a comment of my writing instructor that Rosa, my first novel, is a very interesting story. She added that Rosa is a good main character - observant and sympathetic. My second novel, 'What brought you to England?', was partly inspired by my circumstances. I married an Englishman; we have a child and my experience of work and family life were ample materials. I have, however, to point out that there is no resemblance between my family life and the main characters in this novel. I also wanted to show that people from the Philippines are educated and engage in professional occupations. Here, I wrote about Pilipino nurses who are contributing significantly to the health service of this country. My third novel, 'My Mother, a Self-made Outcast', is about a woman who denies her Philippine roots to her children and friends. I suppose this is my puzzled reaction and irritation to a Pilipina who doesn't want to know other people from the Philippines who are working and living in England.