In 1996, a young graduate, Violet Baretto leaves Goa to work in oil-rich Kuwait as a maid for a wealthy Kuwaiti woman. To her horror, she finds herself accused of theft, her colleagues assaulted, thrown from moving cars or performing ‘favors.’Sabah Dashti, the Kuwaiti matriarch can’t tell Violet the truth; nine of Sabah’s previous maids have absconded, five of them were found pregnant or that the … or that the police think she’s running a prostitution ring. Sabah has no idea who’s responsible.
Kuwait is still patriarchal and women are second-class citizens. Despite their differences, both Sabah and Violet are hungry for success as it will give them a chance to live life on their own terms. Together they build a thriving business. But a woman-hating, killer has set eyes on them and will not let them succeed at any cost.
Poignant, chilling and honest, Painting Kuwait Violet underlines the reality of women on either side of the country’s class divide.
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Painting Kuwait Violet
By Pamela Q. Fernandes
Rated 4 stars
I liked the idea for this story. It intrigues me. It started out great…very suspenseful. But then it seemed to fizzle out. It does pick back up and got very exciting. But the ending seemed kind of abrupt as well. The story is mainly about Violet and how she is surviving working as a maid in Kuwait. The long hours, ungrateful people, the hard work with a language barrier. She made a great friend in her roommate, Tintin. There is a side story of disappearing maids. We briefly get to read from the suspects mind. So there is a idea of what he has done. The police are investigating but have come up with nothing. If the suspect is a Kuwaiti will the police even arrest him? Or will Violet become just another victim?
The writing seemed a little to “minute by minute” for me. I don’t care for that much information on the mundane activities. Now on the other had the relationships and the characters building was very well done. Violet, Tintin, Madam and her daughter, Aliya all made vast character improvements. But the friendship and trust Madam and Aliya had for a mere maid was amazing. I easily knew who to like and who to dislike.
If you are a person who enjoys good characters along with a attention to detail and a bit of suspense…give this one a try.
A great read about the unexpected. Violet is a finance graduate looking for work and to pay off her fathers debts. She sets off from Goa to Kuwait to work as a maid for Sabah Dashti in hopes of a better future. Struggling barriers of a different language and food, Violet finds her feet but mysterious events start to happen in the house and dangers lurk nearby. But will Violet discover if Kuwait truly is a paradise?
A great read. Well developed plot with twists and turns. The use of suspense was done to perfection with small strange events as you kept reading to find out why girls kept leaving. Well developed characters like Violet staying kind hearted despite hardships or Sabah keeping a brave face as a mother despite the allegations. Great supporting cast of different personalities like the stubborn Tintin or the curious child Aliya or the intimidating Rauf making the novel full of life and people with bustling lives.
A great example of bildungsroman as Violet finds her feet and grows as a person through her experiences in life. A brilliant example of celebrating another culture with love and care towards Asian language and culture and religion and food and dress throughout the novel which was a lovely touch. I also loved this aspect of the imagery in the novel with the dry desert and hot air of Kuwait as a hard place but also beautiful. The only issue I would raise is that it seemed slow paced and large amounts of characters was sometimes hard to keep track of. Overall, a great read and I would give it four stars.
Painting Kuwait Violet by Pamela Q. Fernandes is an intriguing story and Pamela’s writing style is engaging. We are given a look at a world that we have never had to see. A world where women are a lesser sex in every sense. A world where men can do as they please without fear. It is a real eye opener on the culture of life in Kuwait. It is an emotional read that is full of mystery and suspense, drama and danger and felt somewhat real from the telling. Whilst the story is engaging I felt that it was lacking a little more wholeness, something that gave it more punch but still worth the read.
Colour me impressed. Like Kuwait was painted Violet and Violet was “painted” forever by Kuwait. A plot that gets your interest right from the beginning. Kuwait immediately after war, but prospering and being the attraction of citizens from other unfortunate countries. Violet, from Goa, India leaves her pride home and comes to Kuwait to pay her family’s debt by working as a maid. Though everything is thrilling with what happens in the house, the missing maids, the weird noises, the author highlights some very serious issues that even today persists. So many graduates nowadays work in different fields in order to maintain themselves without having the chance to put that degree at use. The way Violet and the other maids were treated is something that many immigrants have to pass through even in these days. So hats down for Pamela to touch such a sensitive subject.
A book about history, life lessons, different cultures but also full of adrenaline that will keep you in your toes till the very end!
Painting Kuwait Violet is set against the backdrop of the oil rich 1996 Kuwait. This is also a distressful time for women, well ok all time really has been for women there to be real. I struggled with this most of the novel. Then again I am one of those that has that internal struggle with time. One that stops and thinks, ‘oh it wasn’t really only 1998 ten years ago, more like it was twenty. Time flies, and while it seems like some things drastically change, other things brutally can stay the same. This is a theme that is well touched on throughout the entirety of this novel. I think it was a chance for many opportunities to address a lot of things that not your average woman would be aware of or educated on and should be more aware of. It didn’t necessarily fall completely short. However, I felt it could have expounded in a few places. Pamela Q. Fernandes was a completely new author to me when I picked up this novel, so I had no idea what I was going to get, and I was pleasantly surprised.
With all that said this book gets up close and personal with the journey of Violet Baretto. She is forced to take on a position to pay off her family’s debt. One that is way below her on multiple levels. There is many layers to this story though, not just the class and social differences that Violet faces, but the mystery and intrigue that are involved when Saba Dashti, Violet’s mistress, is introduced to the storyline. I was kept on the edge of my seat through the majority of the story and all of my questions were wrapped up by the end of the novel. Overall, it was a neat and well packaged four star read for me. I would be interested to see what else available from Pamela Q. Fernandes is in the very near future!
This is my first introduction to this author and I was very pleased with the story that unfolded within these pages. The story is rich in detail. The main character is relatable and takes the reader with her as she makes life changes. This emotional tale is one that I couldn’t put down. I was riveted from beginning to end and know I will need to go back and read it again to thoroughly appreciate the story. Loved it.
This is my first book by this author and I enjoyed it from beginning to end. This is a Coming of Age book about a woman who takes a job as a maid in Kuwait to make money to pay her mother’s mortgage. She may have just gotten a little more than she expected. I enjoyed Violet’s character. She is a strong headed woman who don’t really take anything from anyone. Her story is full of suspense, mystery and determination. I highly recommend this book.
Painting Kuwait Violet
By: Pamela Q. Fernandes
5 out of 5 stars
The story Painting Kuwait Violet by Pamela Q. Fernandes is a book that I enjoyed reading. It is a story that draws you in and I found myself not wanting to put it down until I had finished the last page. I enjoyed reading about Violet Baretto. She is a young woman who is beautiful and smart. She has taken a job as a maid and finds out all might not be as it seems at the house in which she works. Violet is someone who works hard and although she has a lot to learn does her best. There are situations happening that are disturbing, and the question arises just who is responsible. Violet is a character that I grew to love with each chapter that I read and she is someone that you want to succeed in all that she does. There is also the character of Sabah Dashti. She carries the burden of the situation regarding previous maids, police inquiries, and also the responsibility of running her business. Sabah soon finds that Violet has a good business sense and a new sort of relationship begins between them. All the while more disturbing events happen at Sabah’s home. Will the one that is responsible be caught? Read this story to find out. I liked how the story provides details on the customs and culture of the people of Kuwait. This book has characters that are intriguing and mysterious. The story is wonderfully written and was a pleasure to read.
4 Stars
Painting Kuwait Violet is an intriguing women’s fiction story by Pamela Q. Fernandes. This is my first read by Ms. Fernandes so I was curious to see where the story would lead.
Violet Baretto is a young, ambitious, intelligent and well-educated woman who takes a position as a maid in Kuwait, working for a wealthy woman, Sabah Dashti, to help her family pay their debts. But things are not quite that simple, and what ensues was an eye-opening look into the Patriarchal society, and a glimpse at the cultural and class divides, the social issues, racism, and more. This is a story that has some mystery, suspense, danger, and drama- as we discover when a woman-hating killer is thrown into the mix.
This book felt like two stories rolled into one- the story of Violet and Sabah’s developing friendship and their quest for success, and the mystery that unravels disappearances, abuse, cover-ups, murder, and injustice.
Although this book has an interesting premise and is well written, I would have loved more depth to the storyline. Over-all, it’s a good read.
Thank you, Ms. Fernandes!
Painting Kuwait Violet By Pamela Q Fernandes. This was my first book by this author and I wasn’t sure what to expect but I wasn’t disappointed in the least. This story was one I read in one sitting just because I continued to “have” to know what would happen next. It took me a little bit to connect fully with the book but when I got there, there was no going back. The characters are complex and flawed yet relatable and strong. It’s a book filled with life questions and suspense. Violet’s character is one that will stick with me in the future she’s just beautifully written. The entire story is well written and thought out with great attention to details. It has a nice easy flow and never felt rushed or dragging. I really enjoyed this story. I’m giving this book a four star review and highly recommend it to everyone.
Painting Kuwait Violet
By Pamela Q. Fernandes
4 stars
Painting Kuwait Violet was a really intriguing read. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I first started but it really was such an eye opening read. I think we all know that these things happen in the real world but to read about it in such a way that made it so real was quite hard. I can’t imagine having to live my life the way that the characters in this story do, to know that you are just as equal as men but can’t show it must be soul destroying.
The author’s writing style was really engaging and at times very real. I was really captivated by the read and I was impressed. I haven’t read anything by this author previously but I would definitely like to read more in the future.