Book Review: Datta, Arunima (2021). Fleeting Agencies: A Social History of Indian Coolie Women in British Malaya (Global South Asians). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, July 2021, The Book Review, ISSN (Print) 0970-4175 (original) (raw)

This work contributes significantly to the gendered history of colonial Indian labour migration by examining the everyday experiences of coolie women in British Malaya. It shifts the narrative from viewing these women as mere victims to recognizing their agencies, framed as 'fleeting agency'—situational acts of self-determination amidst oppressive structures. The author details how coolie women navigated complex socio-economic landscapes, addressing the impact of colonialism, migration policies, and their roles within the plantation economy.