LINDA TY-CASPER had graduated from her studies in Law from the University of the Philippines and Harvard when she came across erroneous and biased books at Widener Library. She abandoned Law and became an advocate, through faithfully researched historical fiction, of the Filipino’s right to self-definition/determination.
Her 16 books of fiction deal with Philippine events from the 18th century, the 1896 Philippine revolution, the Philippine-American War (1898-1902), World War II, on to the Martial Law years of the Marcos Dictatorship, and the post-Marcos days until the early 2000s.
She edited her husband’s biography, Will You Happen, Past the Silence, Through the Dark: Remembering Leonard Ralph Casper, (PALH 2023 The next near 2024, Exploding Galaxies reissued her The Three-Cornered Sun. She also wrote her memoir, Lives Remembered, a Memoir (PALH 2025). Her A Small Party in a Garden: Revised and Critical Edition and Fortress in the Plaza, Revised Edition were released by PALH in 2026.
Ms. Casper’s awards include the SEA Write Award, the ALIWW Parangal, UNESCO/P.E.N., Rockefeller (Bellagio), Radcliffe Fellowship, among others. Her stories have been published in Antioch Review, The Asia Magazine, Windsor Review, Hawaii Review, Triquarterly, among many others.
The following are books by Linda Ty-Casper published by PALH (Philippine American Literary House),
A Small Party in a Garden: Revised and Critical Edition
by Linda Ty-Casper
PALH 2026, 177 pages
ISBN: 978-1-953716-55-2 (Paperback)
ISBN: 978-1-953716-56-9(Hardcover)
ISBN: 978-1-953716-576 (Ebook)
A Small Party in a Garden, Revised and Critical Edition, re-introduces an important historical novella that was first published 38 years ago. Written by award-winning Filipina writer, Linda Ty-Casper, A Small Party in a Garden is set in the Philippines during the Marcos Dictatorship. The story's protagonist is a privileged woman who is the right-hand woman of Imelda Marcos, and who learns first hand what brutality meant under Martial Law. This revised and critical edition has an Introduction by Dr. Charlie Samuya Veric, Professor at the Ateneo de Manila University, who analyzes the novella in terms of its continued historical and literary significance. Dr. Lynn M. Grow, Emeritus Senior Professor of English at Broward College gives a comprehensive overview of Linda Ty-Casper's literary works.
Linda Ty-Casper is the author of over sixteen books, which generally deal with Philippine historical and political themes. She is the recipient of the SEA Write Award, UNESCO/P.E.N., Rockefeller Bellagio, Radcliffe Fellowships and other awards. Her literary work is considered a significant contribution to Filipino, Philippine American, as well as Asian American literature. Her works of fiction are so powerful that two of her novels, Wings of Stone and Awaiting Trespass, were banned in the Philippines during the Marcos Dictatorship; the books were published in London.
Her recent books include the biography of her husband:: Will You Happen, Past the Silence, Through the Dark: Remembering Leonard Ralph Casper, and Lives Remembered, A Memoir
Book Review of A Small Party in a Garden: Revised and Critical Edition: by Eileen Tabios in The Halo-Halo Review
Introduction of A Small Party by Charlie Samuya Veric, published in Esquire Magazine - https://www.esquiremag.ph/culture/books-and-art/gardens-and-mountains-of-philippine-literature-a7837-20260108-dyn
Fortress in the Plaza, Revised Edition
by Linda Ty-Casper
PALH 2026, 186 pages
ISBN: 978-1-953716-58-3 (Paperback)
ISBN: 978-1-953716-59-0 (Hardcover)
ISBN: 978-1-953716-60-6 (Ebook)
Written by noted Filipino writer, Linda Ty-Casper, Fortress in the Plaza, Revised Edition is a historical novella that takes place in six days in August 1971 in Manila. At this time resistance against Ferdinand Marcos Sr.'s autocratic government is growing. The Marcos government is clamping down; the people are resisting; there are battles between soldiers and students at rallies as in the Mendiola Massacre. Assassinations or disappearances of politicians, journalists, and others become increasingly rampant.
In the midst of this tense situation, Miguel Honorio, a politician from the small place or San Ildefonso receives a death threat and he seeks refuge in his mother's house in Manila. There he joins three generations of relatives who live in the house on Anloague Street. Through these characters and their friends, the readers experience how life was like during those horrific years, and how they coped.
With this framework, Linda Ty-Casper brings in flashbacks to Spanish, American, and Japanese times in the Philippines, which expand the horizon of the novella beyond the narrow focus of a single political event, the August 21, 1971 Plaza Miranda Bombing. Instigated by Ferdinand Marcos Sr., this event led to his declaration of martial law, his entrenchment as the Philippines' dictator, and increased political violence in the Philippines.
This revised edition includes analysis about the novella and Linda Ty-Casper's fiction.
Ty-Casper has authored over 20 books and is a leading Filipino novelist. Her character-driven novels, considered classics, allow readers to experience key moments of Philippines history.
Lives Remembered, A Memoir
by Linda Ty-Casper
PALH 2025, 192 pages
ISBN 9781953716460 (sc)
ISBN 9781953716477 (hc)
The award-winning novelist describes her work this way: “This memoir is about the lives of all the people who have become a part of me and made me who I am.”
In her Memoir, Ty-Casper pours her heart into sentences that bring to life the people, places, experiences, and memories that, at the age of 94 remain precious to her. She starts with her earliest memories describing where she lived and the people who populated her world then. There is Nanay the Grandmother who had seven children, and who became widowed, moved to Manila with her four daughters, and there played at the gaming tables to help support her family. This grandmother told Linda stories about the Philippine revolution against Spain, the war with the Americans, and who used to tell her, “Someone should write this story, the story of my life.” The young Linda took her grandmother’s words to heart and eventually wrote historical novels and other books, over 18 in total, including the recently reissued Three-Cornered Sun (Exploding Galaxies 2024).
She received the SEA Write Award, the ALIWW Parangal and FAWN, among others; grants from Harvard, Radcliffe, Wheatland; residences include Bellagio Rockefeller Center, Djerassi, Siliman, UP Writers.
Book Trailer of Lives Remembered - https://youtu.be/iCqlj3dOx8Q
Book Review of Lives Remembered:
"Lives Remembered, Histories Regained" by Charlie Samuya Veric, Esquire Magazine Philippines, Sept. 8, 2025 - https://www.esquiremag.ph/culture/books-and-art/lives-remembered-histories-regained-a7837-20250908-lfrm2
Book Review of Lives Remembered:
Perspective in the Arts and Humanities Asia, Vol 15, No 2 (Ateneo de Manila University), Review by Eileen Tabios
https://archium.ateneo.edu/paha/vol15/iss2/12/
A River, One Woman-Deep: Stories
by Linda Ty-Casper
PALH 2017, 228 pages
ISBN 9780971945852 (sc)
ISBN 987097191945845 (hb)
Winner of the SEA Write and other Awards, Filipina writer Linda Ty-Casper, who is noted for her historical fiction set in the Philippines, presents this new story collection that includes her novella of the same title.
Her novella is set during the tumultuous Estrada years from 1998 to 2001 when the Philippine president rose to power and was impeached after massive rallies. The main character is a Filipina-American who uncovers a family secret during her visit to Manila, a secret caused by another traumatic historic event in the Philippines -- World War Two. Her other stories are about Filipino and Filipino-American women.
World Literature Today’s Nota Bene section reviewed: “In this collection of stories, Filipina American Linda Ty-Casper runs her finger along the scars left behind in the wake of historical events in the Philippines parsing out what it means to live through and after the trauma of dictatorships and war.
Ty-Casper’s A River, One-Woman Deep: Stories is also published by the University of Santo Tomas Publishing House in the Philippines.
Will You Happen, Past the Silence, Through the Dark? Remembering Leonard Ralph Casper
by Linda Ty-Casper
PALH 2022, 346 pages
ISBN 9781953716200 (sc)
ISBN 9781953716231 (hc)
Award-winning Filipino novelist, Linda-Ty-Casper -- the author of this biography, says this book is the Memoir that her husband Leonard Ralph Casper did not get to write. Born in Fond du Lac Wisconsin in 1923, Leonard Casper had a full life as a writer, an academic, a literary critic until he passed away in 2018.
Linda Ty-Casper collects the letters to and from Leonard Casper, letters which reflect who he was to many friends, high school classmates, teachers and professors, colleagues in the Universities of Rhode Island, Ateneo University of Manila, University of the Philippines and Wisconsin, from editors of Southwest Review who encouraged Len to send stories from the European front during World War II; from Robert Penn Warren starting with his first letter of inquiry (two pages) when he began on his dissertation at the University of Wisconsin, the dissertation becoming the first book on Warren, which critics said showed the way for later books on the Southern writers. There are letters from Filipino writers Len grew to know as friends from years of teaching in the Philippines.
Book Review of Will You Happen, Past the Silence, Through the Dark?
Perspective in the Arts and Humanities Asia, Vol 15, No 2
(Ateneo de Manila University) Review by L. M. Grow, Ph.D.
https://archium.ateneo.edu/paha/vol15/iss2/11/
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Email palhbooks@gmail.com or palh@aol.com for more information.
READ ALSO:
How I Became a Writer 2: Essays by Filipino Writers - Information and Links
I Became a Writer by Marra Pl Lanot, from How I Became a Writer 2
Writing Amid the Babel of Books by Vicente L. Rafael, from How I Became a Writer 2
A Twisted Path to Becoming a Writer, by Grononimo Tagatac from How I Became a Writer 2
Cecilia Brainard at the MIBF26 for Book Launch and Book Signings
Perspectives in the Arts and Humatiies Asia - Dr. Charlie Veric Interviws Cecilia Brainard
Writing Amid the Babel of Books by Vicente L Rafael - included in How I Became a Writer 2
Tags: Filipino American books, FilAm literature, Philippine literature, Filipino literature, Filipino books, Filipino authors. Filipino American authors, Filipino American books, Philippine Martial law, Ferdinand Marcos Dictatorshp
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