TRAVELS (and more) WITH CECILIA BRAINARD: Brainard's novel, MAGDALENA, Reissued with Illustrations

Saturday, February 13, 2021

Brainard's novel, MAGDALENA, Reissued with Illustrations

PALH (Philippine American Literary House) announces the release of Cecilia Manguerra Brainard, novel MAGDALENA, with illustrations by the author. The book is available from Amazon for $17.95: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1953716113< >.
Previously published by Plain View Press (2003) and available in the Philippines (University of Santo Tomas Publishing House 2016), this 2021 US edition by PALH of MAGDALENA includes illustrations by the author.

Written in the fragmented style, Cecilia Brainard’s lyrical second novel Magdalena, tells the stories of three generations of Filipino women whose lives have been affected by the Philippine American War, World War Two, and the Vietnam War. The novel is a favorite among poets, academics and feminists, and it has been the subject of academic papers by Drs. John Jack Wigley, Rhodora G. Magan, Ruth S. Rimando, and others.
Alma Anonas-Carpio reviewed the book for The Philippine Graphic (March 2016) saying: “The story of Magdalena’s life is a rich one, full of emotional intensity told with the brilliant clarity of Manguerra Brainard’s pen. It made me cry and it made me sigh …Rarely have I read such exquisite command of storytelling as I see in the pages of this novel. Here she uses the backdrop of a Japanese-occupied Philippines to maximum effect, devastating the reader’s emotions without giving any quarter nor taking any prisoners. You die inside and come to life again when the feelings of hope hit you—and they will.”
Midwest Book Review also praised the book: “Expertly written by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard … Magdalena is set in the chaotic backdrop of twentieth century East Asia. A romantic, powerful tale of three generations of Filipino women, written with a close eye on the terrors of war and the Japanese invasion of the Philippines during World War II, Magdalena is an intense, involving, highly recommended saga that documents author Cecilia Manguerra Brainard as a gifted author with a mastery of storytelling that will keep the reader’s total attention and engagement from first page to last!”
Contact palh@aol.com for more information.

tags: books Philippines women; books Filipina fiction; books Philippines literature; books Philippines novel

Cecilia Manguerra Brainard

Cecilia Manguerra Brainard's official website is ceciliabrainarddotcom. She is the award-winning author and editor of 22 books, including When the Rainbow Goddess Wept, The Newspaper Widow, Magdalena, Selected Stories, Vigan and Other Stories, and more. She edited Growing Up Filipino 1, 2, & 3, Fiction by Filipinos in America, Contemporary Fiction by Filipinos in America, and other books.. Her work has been translated into Finnish and Turkish; and many of her stories and articles have been widely anthologized. Cecilia has received many awards, including a California Arts Council Fellowship in Fiction, a Brody Arts Fund Award, a Special Recognition Award for her work dealing with Asian American youths, as well as a Certificate of Recognition from the California State Senate, 21st District, and the Outstanding Individual Award from her birth city, Cebu, Philippines. She has lectured and performed at UCLA, USC, University of Connecticut, University of the Philippines, PEN, Shakespeare & Company in Paris, and many others. She has served in the Board of literary arts groups such as PEN, PAWWA (Pacific Asian American Writers West), among others.