The bamboo stalk

Josephine comes to Kuwait from the Philippines to work as a maid, where she meets Rashid, a spoiled only son. Josephine, with all the wide-eyed naivety of youth, believes she has found true love. But when she becomes pregnant, and with the rumble of war growing ever louder, Rashid abandons her and sends her back home with her baby son, José. Brought up struggling with his dual identity, Jose clings to the hope of returning to his father's country when he is 18. But will Kuwait be any more welcoming to him? Daring and bold, 'The Bamboo Stalk' takes an unflinching look at the phenomenon of foreign workers in Arab countries and confronts the universal problems of identity, race and religion.