An Ordinary Tale About Women and Other Stories

by Fatimah Busu, Pauline Fan (translator)

This collection offers a selection of short stories by Fatimah Busu, one of the foremost Malay women writers of the past century. A master of the short story form, Fatimah Busu is known for her bold subject matter, fresh approach to language, and idiosyncratic style. Her short stories offer an acute portrayal of the inner contradictions of Malay society, particularly the realities of women and men in rural Malaysia grappling with the forces of tradition and modernity, and the frailty of the human condition. The strong subjectivity and agency of women characters in her stories, as well as the unique perspective of children, offers a powerful counter-narrative to the literary landscape of Malay fiction dominated by male writers. Many of Fatimah Busu’s stories are set in her hometown of Kampung Pasir Pekan, Kelantan and are imbued with the vivid peculiarities of Kelantanese dialect, sensibility, and everyday life.


Translated from Malay by Pauline Fan, the ten short stories gathered here span from Fatimah Busu’s early work in the 1960s and 70s, to the height of her creative powers in the 1980s, into her mature period in the 1990s. This collection features a few of Fatimah Busu’s iconic short stories and several lesser known stories which underscore her distinctiveness of style and subject matter. Fatimah Busu’s evocative fiction blurs the boundaries of social realism, dreamscapes, apocalyptic visions, reimagined mythology, and magic realism. The stories gathered here have been translated into English for the first time.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction

Kindle Edition

Published December 17, 2024

About the author

FATIMAH BUSU dilahirkan pada bulan Januari 1943 di Kampung Pasir Pekan, Kota Bharu, Kelantan. Setelah tamat pendidikan formalnya di sekolah rendah dan menengah, beliau menyambung pengajian dengan mengikuti kursus perguruan di Maktab Perempuan Melayu, Durian Daun, Melaka. Kemudian, beliau berkhidmat sebagai guru untuk beberapa tahun. Pada awal dekan 1970-an, Fatimah Busu menyambung pengajian tingginya di Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Pulau Pinang. Berkat kesungguhannya dalam bidang akademik, Fatimah Busu memperoleh Ijazah Sarjana Sastera (1978) dan Doktor Falsafah (1994) di universiti yang sama. Kemudian beliau bertugas sebagai pensyarah sehingga bersara pada tahun 1998. Kini beliau berkhidmat secara kontrak sebagai penyarah di USM.

Dalam jagat kesusasteraan tanah air, genre cerpen dan novel telah menonjolkan bakat kepengarangan Fatimah Busu. Sehingga kini, beliau telah menghasilkan tiga kumpulan cerpen iaitu Lambaian Tanah Hijau (DBP, 1980), Yang Abadi (Teks Publishing, 1980) dan Al-Isya' (Teks Publishing, 1985). Sebanyak 10 buah cerpennya pernah memenangi Hadiah Karya Sastera dan Hadiah Sastera Malaysia. Cerpen-cerpen yang berjaya ialah "Mawar Yang Belum Gugur." (1971); "Nasinya Tumpah" (1972), "Freshie" dan "Lambaian Tanah Hijau" (1973); "Bunga-bunga Pulau" dan " Sampah Yang Hanyut" (1974); "Anak Bumi Tercinta" dan "Anak-anak dari Kampung Pasir Pekan" (1975); "Mahar Asmara" (1983/1984) dan "Al-Amin" (1984/1985). Manakala genre novel yang dihasilkan, iaitu "Ombak Bukan Biru" dan "Kepulangan". Antologi puisinya yang terbaru "Apa Ada Di Sana (Versi Dunia)" telah diterbitkan pada tahun 2004.

Sebagai ahli akademik atau sarjana, beliau telah melaksanakan penelitian ilmiah dengan menghasilkan buku yang berjudul "Ciri-ciri Satira dalam Novel Melayu dan Afrika Moden: Kajian Perbandingan (DBP, 1992). Buku ini, kemudiannya memenangi Hadiah Sastera Malaysia pada tahun 1992/1993.

Kini, dua buah cerpen beliau yang pernah memenangi Hadiah Sastera Malaysia menjadi bahan teks KOMSAS dalam mata pelajaran Bahasa Melayu dan mata pelajaran Kesusasteraan Melayu peringkat STPM. Cerpen-cerpen itu ialah "Anak Bumi Tercinta" (antologi Anak Bumi Tercinta, DBP, 2001) dan "Anak-anak dari Kampung Pasir Pekan" (antologi Warna Sari Sastera Melayu Moden, DBP, 1996)

Hasil pena terkini Fatimah Busu ialah "Ada Apa Di Sana (Versi Dunia)" (Pustaka Nusa,2004), "Salam Maria" (Absolute Publications, 2004), "Keajaiban Alam" (Pekan Ilmu Publications, 2004) dan "The Missing Piece Bah. 1 (Citra Kurnia Ent., 2005).

Reviews

[Nrlhakimin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fatimah Busu is an incredible Malaysian writer who isn’t afraid to speak the truth about society. She bravely challenges the norm, speaking of unspoken taboos and scandals that are usually swept under the carpet. She’s been telling stories that dig deep into the struggles and complexities of life especially for the everyday person since the 1970s.

The author focuses on the struggles of women in a society where men often receive special treatment and remain indifferent to the hardships around them. In her stories, men are frequently portrayed as the ones who create problems, yet they often escape the consequences. They leave behind women and children to endure the aftermath, carrying the burden of neglectful heartless men. Surprising, nothing much has changed from the 1970s to date. Sad isn’t it?

Pauline Fan aims to bring her powerful work to a wider audience by showing us the importance of voices that challenge the norm. It’s a reminder of how literature can highlight the lives of those often overlooked. Through her stories, we get to see a rich and real side of Malaysia with all its beauty, flaws and everything in between.

My favourite short stories from this book are:
🍃Watching The Rain – A mother and son ride on a Jentayu bird’s wings to the clouds and witness wars around the world from above.
🍃The Dowry of Desire – A dark twist on the Puteri Gunung Ledang tale, highlighting an evil ruler consumed by desire and lust using his people to fulfill his wants.
🍃Spilled Rice – A story about children who have to stop school and take care of each other while their parents work due to poverty fall into an innocent tragedy.

Reading this gives me such a fulfilling feeling. I’ve missed and longed for Malaysian literature. It’s always been my favourite. It’s enriching, mind-boggling and truly an eye-opener. I’m eager to explore more of Fatimah Busu’s works in bahasa for a different experience.

5 ✨ from me. Thank you Fatimah Busu and Pauline Fan for bringing this collection into my world. Forever grateful for @times.reads & @putrifariza for this review copy 🌹

[hans · Rating 4 out of 5]

10 stories centered in a feminist twist narratives, told and explored through the hurdles and experiences of women grappling with the forces of tradition, gender roles and their struggles in a patriarchy society. Loved the simplicity and its succinct prose despite having a dense and bold observation on the theme— of the unseen realities and challenges, quite satirical, taboo and totally distinctive with its compelling Malay society and rural backdrop.

Spilled Rice hooked me the most for its tragic familial premise; on the upsetting reality of a rural hardship and how a forced responsibility being thrown to the eldest sibling. A sharp rendition on morality and societal gaze for the titular story; An Ordinary Tale About Women that revolved on the mistreatment, discrimination and how women could easily become a prey to predatory men— too disturbing and can be quite triggering to few for its baby dumping and infanticide scenes. Loved that riveting societal and household dynamics in At The Edge Of A River— a story of community effort in building a house with a glimpse to poverty and political stress in between.

Fairly enjoyed the others as much esp The Dowry Of Desire which told as a retelling to the wellknown legend of Puteri Gunung Ledang (both cunning and so chilling), Watching The Rain (a bizarre journey of a mother and her child with a sneak into the Islamic single mother figures) and A Letter to Mother In Kampong Pasir Pekan (on mystic beliefs told in epistolary format).

Such raw and appealing collection overall, an easy to grasp translation and one that might be memorable much to me for its local traditional backdrop (hello hometown!) and the powerful heart-rending exploration on its women and societal themes.

(Thank you Times Reads for the review copy!)

[Bella Azam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fatimah Busu weaved her stories rooted in the reality of women's plights & suffering especially in Malay society. With her setting based in rural towns in Malaysia, shedding the harsh, horrific accounts of subjection women faced in daily life while trying our best to achieve equality & dignity but were always trampled upon by superior men. Blending magical realism, folktales, legendary tales & contemporary horror, An Ordinary Tale about women and other stories was a stunning collection that is not ashamed to converse on controversial topics meant to expose & chronicle the hardship women go through with portrayal of stark reality in the cutlural & traditional sense of how women should act in the society. With 10 different stories ranged from horror, spinning folktales and legendary stories to reflect the passing of times that still relevant to current times, this collection evoke some nauseating images seared in my mind for how graphic they are

Opening with a story on a family demise on finding a land to built a house to live but evicted instead because of different political views with the neighbour, tales of women's being taken advantage of by the men in their life as they were being used & stripped of their virginity & birthed infant out of wedlock and forced to abandon them, a sinister tale on dajal, the cruelty perpetrated to stray cats just bcus they are dirty & scrawny, how children are left to take care of each other by themselves as their parents were out working, the lust & desire in spin off Puteri Gunung Ledang tale showed the greediness of a King, the witness of abusive father with a disgusting afflictions to his daughters, a mother & son flying across the clouds watching the wars occuring, a repentance of an exiled King, lastly the broken promises of lovers witnessed by the Angel of paradise & trees

Fatimah Busu explored on the ordinary tales of women, mother, daughters, young girls and gave voices to each of them, of their struggles & abandonment, the explosiveness of betrayal, undeniablely raw & loud, unafraid on critiquing the atrocious actions comitted by these horrible men towards women without consequences, questioning the societal & ethical values ingrained in Malay culture & the religion. Pauline Fan's masterful translation was great too as she maintained the original Malay words that felt true to its own & this just sold me to read more of Fatimah Busu's works

Thank you Times Reads & Ms Putri for the review copy

[Elvina Zafril · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fatimah Busu’s An Ordinary Tale of Women and Other Stories is a stunning collection that dives into gender, tradition, and societal struggles in rural Malaysia. Her stories boldly expose toxic masculinity, highlight the unchecked privilege of men, and give a voice to women who fight back against oppression.

The book explores various topics and serious issues that happened in the past and are still relevant today, such as women (and often their children) abandoned by their husbands. It touches on poverty, adultery, infanticide. I was sad and made reading about heavy subjects like abortion and babies being killed, mothers abandoned baby at a bus stop, they even left the baby in the public toilet and one case they hung baby’s body on the fence of a mosque. Everything babies related was just so sad. These stories are heartbreaking to read, and I’d warn readers to brace themselves for some very heavy and emotional topics.

Some of my favorites are:
1. At the Edge of the River
2. An Ordinary Tale About Women
3. ⁠Spilled Rice 😭
4. ⁠Watching the Rain.

This collection is unforgettable. Even thoough that this is translated by Pauline Fan, I felt Fatimah Busu’s writing is bold, raw, and thought-provoking. This is a must-read for anyone who loves stories that challenge the norm and tackle difficult realities.

[Andreea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was not ready for this! This book is dark, borderline horror, even if it reflects the reality of women trying to survive in a regime not meant to support them. An Ordinary Tale About Women and Other Stories by Fatimah Busu, translated by Pauline Fan, exposes the pain and struggles of Malay women. Rooted in the socio-cultural reality of Malaysia, the stories explore themes like social expectations, lack of support for women and mothers, sexual abuse of girls and women at the hands of men they know, and the social judgment attached to unmarried mothers, which leads to their death or the death of their child.

At the Edge of the River follows a Malay family who wants to build a house by the edge of the river. Their home was approved by the local leader, but the political opposition wanted to take revenge because they supported the other leader. The family - with six children - is in danger of being evicted from the land and are pawns in the hands of local politics. Themes: the powerful praying on the poor. Rating: 3.5/5 ⭐

The titular story, An Ordinary Tale About Women, follows mothers who struggle to survive after their husbands leave them for younger wives. While raising children. Their only support is the children, who become old enough (15) to get a job and help the family (forget education). Even more painful stories are centred on young girls and women used by men who get pregnant and are shunned by society, not having any option left. Tragical stories. Themes: sexual abuse, rape, matricid, children forced to work. Rating: 4.5/5 ⭐

A Letter to Mother in Kampong Pasir Pekan talks about the influence and manipulation of “”dajjals”, an evil figure in Islamic eschatology who will pretend to be the Messiah and later claim to be God, appearing before the Day of Judgment. A cry for help to get out of their influence and remove them. Themes: theology, evil spirits, spiritual beliefs. Rating: 4/5 ⭐

My least favourite (as it talks about abusing cats) was A Scrawny Cat. It follows a scrawny cat who keeps returning home despite being beaten and abused by their owners. Despite having lost their beloved cat, the owners have no mercy for this poor cat and they shoo it away whenever it comes near, even if she just wants to be close to them, never steals food, never attacks or disturbs anyone. Themes: animal abuse, cat abuse. Rating: 5/5 ⭐😭

The collection is not limited to realism - some stories have myth and allegory elements. The Dowry of Desire, for example, is a reimagining of the legend of Puteri Gunung Ledang, a celestial princess who lived on Mount Ledang and set impossible conditions for the Sultan to accept marrying him. The Sultan will destroy his country and his people to try to meet her requests, not realising that she had refused him already (talking about men not hearing women!). The legends point to golden and silver bridges and other hidden treasures on the mountain. Themes: legend, myth, power, abuse of power. Rating: 4/5 ⭐

Busu’s powerful portrayal of women being victims of patriarchy is fantastic! I was not ready for the directness, openness, and rawness of her writing. Check trigger warnings before getting into this, as Busu doesn’t intend to protect your feelings, and I love her for it. The stories criticise the social structures that shape and limit women’s lives while exploring their strength and resilience.

This is a significant work in Southeast Asian literature, with great storytelling and a profound cultural and historical lens. If you are looking for diverse reading and want to learn about other cultures and myths, this is the book to get.

[s. · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ✨

a bold and evocative collection. left me feeling both amazed and perplexed at times.

[Hanan Syahmi · Rating 4 out of 5]

really enjoyed the various short stories. some were deffo better than others. personal favourites were the scrawny cat, spilled rice and the dowry of desire. had good horror and comedic elements in some.

I think the translation for some short stories probably did make it harder for me to understand the full context so it's my next goal to compare the reading experience in Malay. otherwise an enjoyable read.

[Finn (theroyaltyreader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

Unapologetically Malaysian but firmly women-centric which is vital, because women’s perspectives have long been pushed aside to work quietly in the background.

I’m glad this collection finally has an English translation, because finding Fatimah Busu’s work in Malay isn’t always easy. More Malay literature needs to be translated after this. It has its own way of calling out the wrongs in society, never blunt, but in a poetic and layered manner. You don’t always see the critique at first glance, but if you read with a curious mind, you’ll catch the weight of the message. An Ordinary Tale does exactly that.

What makes it even appealing is its concise portrayal of struggles faced by Malays in society but particular towards women. That’s because women in rural are still trapped in between the forces of tradition and modernity. The stories lay bare the vulnerabilities of women which society often ignores as those from broken families or rural areas, left unprepared for city life and preyed upon by men.

Some chapters adapts magical realism, moments so odd they made me pause. But the introduction kept me informed & once I processed the style, those strange elements worked. They gave them another layer of meaning while keeping me grounded.

Almost all these stories hit home for me. The experiences inside feel normal in my world, yet they’re rarely shown in literature. Society often discriminate women so this book offers the unheard side that we don’t hear enough as well as highlighting their efforts and resilience. It also includes other stories which explore war & philosophy, reflecting on humanity’s decline and the loss of ethics and compassion.

An Ordinary Tale about Women doesn’t shout for attention. They just speaks with the kind of quiet strength that lingers and what a though-provoking read. Thanks to Pauline Fan’s translation, Fatimah Busu’s worlds can now travel further, carrying both the beauty and the sharpness of her voice.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

ngl reading this, the first thing i always thought is ‘man this wouldve sound way nicer if its in malay’ too bad its so hard to find her stories. i found out about her when i was reading an academic paper on malays and i was so happy to see her name in kinokuniya! kinda kesian at a lot of the women in the stories tho but hmm nama pun melayu

[Atiqah Ghazali AlKashif · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Ordinary Tale About Women and Other Stories
By Fatimah Busu
Translated by Pauline Fan
Published by Penguin Random House
Goodread's Rating: 4.19/5
My Rating: 5/5

"Remember, we were born to be single mothers; suffering is our fate. This fate is cheerfulness and joy for a single mother."

Like a plate of qasidah, that rich, laden in ghee Terengganu kuih, paired with a perfect cup of hot Arabica coffee, this collection of 10 stories satisfies the senses and stirs the soul. Each story slips in gently but lingers long after the final word, leaving behind the kind of quiet fullness that only good literature brings. Before long, the entire collection is consumed, and still, the hunger remains, for more stories, more pages, more of Fatimah Busu’s voice.

Bold and unflinching, Fatimah Busu’s writing lays bare the intricacies of womanhood, societal expectations, and the quiet revolutions that brew behind closed doors. Her stories traverse landscapes both physical and emotional, from the stillness of Kampung Pasir Pekan to the historical depths of Melaka, and even to the sacred silence of Mount Sinai. Every setting, no matter how far or familiar, becomes an extension of the Malaysian female psyche—wounded, enduring, and powerfully articulate.

The brilliance of this edition lies not only in the strength of the original stories, but also in the sheer finesse of Pauline Fan’s translation. So seamless is the rendering that the boundary between the original and the English disappears entirely. The musicality of the Malay language, the nuanced cadences, and the sharp emotional turns are preserved with astonishing grace. It no longer feels like a translation, but a rebirth, gentle, faithful, and elegant.

This is not merely a book. It is a journey of language, identity, and resistance. A rare kind of storytelling that is at once grounded and expansive, familiar and revelatory. The title may speak of an ordinary tale, but within these pages lives something extraordinary.

"... we can't build on wakaf land that belongs to God. But this is land that belongs to people. Yet there are those who are spiteful and hostile."

[Regina Ibrahim · Rating 4 out of 5]

That evening, the missionaries brought three of Azizah’s to a shopping centre. They bought new school uniforms. They bought kitchen essentials to last her a month. Then they brought Azizah to a clinic to treat her fatigue. When they sent her back home, they gave her money for three months’ rent.

The activity of the missionaries soon fell under the suspicion of the Islamic Council.

“She’s even willing to convert to Christianity, so long as they can eat,” remarked the village headman in disdain.
-------------------------------
Di atas merupakan cuplikan secebis dari kisah kisah yang dipapar dalam kumcer dalam Bahasa Inggeris melalui cerpen yang terbahagi pendek tentang laluan malang perempuan akibat dipinggirkan oleh suami yang sepatutnya menjadi penjaga bertanggungjawab.

10 cerpen tulisan Fatimah Busu merangkumi cerita pemerhatian sinis pergolakan yang dilalui oleh wanita, negara dan pemerintahan secara amnya. Sesekali dalam gaya ‘magical realism’ beliau menceritakan semula secara fiksi hikayat lama dari kacamata perempuan (The Dowry of Desire) menemplak akan sikap Penguasa kejam demi nafsu peribadi dan persoalan kebodohan rakyat. Spilled Rice (Nasinya Tumpah) berkisah tentang struktur ekonomi keluarga dalam pembahagian usaha untuk hidup (telah dipindah secara visual sebagai drama di tahun 70an).

Terjemahan yang adil terhadap penulisan yang boleh dianggap berani di alaf tersebut boleh dibaca melalui cerpen Watching the Full Moon dan The lovers of Muharram. Usaha pihak Penguin Books perlu ditabik. Terkumpul sudah penulisan yang hilang ditelan waktu, peluang bagi pemula melihat bagaimana cerpen berkualiti meskipun dalam penceritaan mudah – The Scarwny Cat dan A letter to Mother in Kampung Pasir Pekan. Fatimah Busu sudah memperlihatkan bagaimana cerpen yang baik & berkesan perlu mempunyai cerita, isi dan isu – selainnya hanyalah teknik penceritaan tersusun.

A must read.

[Vysia Yong · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had to keep putting the book down after each story because the emotional whiplash was too much. Reading Scrawny Cat and Spilled Rice back-to-back actually hurt.

It felt like reading Camus through the lens of a Malaysian woman, except that the absurd isn’t philosophical, it’s marriage, family, money, gender. The unresolvable isn’t about the universe, it’s about the system. You can see the trap clearly, and you still can’t get out.

I really commend her for writing so directly about society’s indifference to women’s suffering without trying to make it palatable or redemptive.

I ended up seeking out her original works in Malay, and they were even better, and more nuanced with her use of jantan and betina etc. Just wow!

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

If there is no Fatimah Basu, there wouldn't be traces of the Malay society that we can glean back on. And for this book, I am thankful to get to appreciate the tales of her short stories. Her bold style and portrayal of the characters stand out and captivates you in way that keeps you flipping till to the very end.

[Ain Ashura · Rating 4 out of 5]

At the Edge of the River 4⭐
An Ordinary Tale About Women 5⭐
A Letter to Mother in Kampong Pasir Pekan 4⭐
The Scrawny Cat 4.5⭐
Spilled Rice 10⭐
The Dowry of Desire 4⭐
Watching the Full Moon 4⭐
Watching the Rain 4⭐
Narration of the Ninth Tale 4⭐
The Lovers of Muharram 3.5⭐

[Wan Katzlan]

Breathtaking...

[Sivananthi T · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredible, magical read into the lives and mindsets of rural women and their relationships.

[Farhira Farudin · Rating 5 out of 5]

some of the stories here will stay with me for life

[Subashini]

Absolutely must find a way to read Fatimah Busu in Malay.

[G · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked how it shows Malaysian culture. my favorite stories are:

An Ordinary Tale about Women - compelling narrative about women's lives
Spilled Rice - nice storyelling
Watching the Rain

[Iman Najaa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terima kasih atas kompilasi ini. Alangkah bagusnya kalau karya-karya Bahasa Melayu beliau lebih mudah dicari. Karya-karya yang berani walaupun landas moralnya jelas, dalam sensualiti yang dihidangkan.