A contemporary book club fiction novel following the lives of two women from two very different backgrounds living in Kuala Lumpur. Inspired by the author's own experiences living as a British expat.Laura, a successful fashion journalist based in London, finds herself uprooted from the world she knows and loves after she moves with her husband and two small children to a dilapidated bungalow in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Behind the house is an overgrown garden inhabited by monkeys, snakes and monitor lizards. A swimming pool sits in the shade of a beautiful jacaranda tree.Mariel, the Filipina maid Laura hires, hasn't seen her own children for nearly ten years. She's on a mission to escape her abusive past and finally marry the man she loves despite an ongoing battle against prejudice.Laura's journey is one of self-discovery, Mariel's is a fight for a better life.