Voice from the Past - Filipino Author Bienvenido N. Santos

I was happy to stumble upon this handwritten note from Filipino writer Bienvenido N. Santos to me dated May 22, 1988. Ben Santos was very supportive of my literary efforts. He was the one who introduced me to Gloria Rodriquez, publishing manager of New Day at the time, and Tita Glo published my first book, Woman With Horns and Other Stories.

Ben's note says: 

May 22, 1988, 

Dear Cecilia, Thank you for your autographed copy of your book. Now I can read the complete collection.
As a regular commuter between the RP and the U.S. every six months each year since 1981, promoting my books and teaching, I know what you mean when you say "I am tired." Consider, too, that I'm a 77-year old man.

But I keep busy, which to me is a way of survival. Manila is an exciting town to visit. I was born there, but the place has changed, the people, too.

I missed you at the poetry reading in which I participated in L.A. April 9. I asked Linda where you were and she told me. Sorry, our paths didn't cross.

I'm leaving at the end of the month for the Wash/DC area to speak and to receive my work in progress. Wish me well as I do you. Thank you again. 

Regards to Lauren. 

Ben Santos.

From Wikipedia, here is a short bio of Ben: Bienvenido N. Santos (March 22, 1911 – January 7, 1996) was a Filipino-American fiction, poetry and nonfiction writer. He was born and raised in Tondo, Manila. His family roots are originally from Lubao, Pampanga, Philippines. He lived in the United States for many years where he is widely credited as a pioneering Asian-American writer.

l-r: Linda Nietes, P.C. Morantte, Cecilia Brainard, Bienvenido N. Santos

 #Philippine #literature #pinoylit #FilAm #novel #writer #Filipino #author #goodreads #librarians'

Read also

• Novel Excerpt from When the Rainbow Goddess Wept by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard
• Novel Excerpt from The Newspaper Widow: The Old Mansion Near the Plaza by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard
• Novel Excerpt from Magdalena: Winning Hearts and Minds (1967) by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard
• Fiction/short story: Friday Evening at the Seashore by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard
• Fiction/short story: The Blue-Green Chiffon Dress by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard

Fiction Short Story "Friday Evening at the Seashore" by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard

I'm sharing a story that's part of my first short story collection, Woman With Horns and Other Stories.  The collection is available in Kindle form  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004EPYZ4Y ~ Cecilia Manguerra Brainard

FRIDAY EVENING AT THE SEASHORE

 by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard

            Padre Zobel locked the rectory and, leaving the center of town, headed toward the seashore. He was a young Spaniard from the coastal village of Mojacar and he felt a special bond with the sea. It made his soul echo; it was home.

The Narrative Voice by Cecilia Brainard at Cebu Normal University, January 26, 2018

I gave this talk last January 26, 2018 at the Cebu Normal University. ~ Cecilia Manguerra Brainard 

~~

The Narrative Voice:

Talk Given at the Seminar-Workshop, Cebu Normal University, January 26, 2018

By Cecilia Manguerra Brainard

PART I: VOICE

WORKSHOP DAYS

“Voice” was one of the elements of creative writing that I had to understand before I could make serious headway with my writing.  I was confronted with the issue of “voice” when I was a writing student at the Writers’ Program of UCLA Extension. I had taken Fiction Writing I, and got an A for that class, after which I signed up for Fiction Writing II. 

What to Do with Fake Facebook Accounts #social media #hackers

What to Do with Fake Facebook Accounts

Recently I've had to deal with fake Facebook Accounts in my name.  The experience of seeing someone else using your identity is disconcerting, but this has happened to me before and I knew what to do.

Before getting into how to remove the fake account, let me tell you how to find these fake Facebook Accounts. It's very simple: search your own name in Facebook.  There you will find the impersonators (if there are any). Sometimes the account will not have a profile picture; sometimes, the account will have your picture; sometimes, the account will have your name but some other picture.

What you need to do is go to the fake account - click on the name, and you will be brought to the profile page.  On the big picture above, on the righthand side, you will see: "Following, Message, then three dots. Click on the three dots. You will find a menu, choose "Report." Next, click "Report this profile."  Continue. You will be asked "What's going on?" Click  "They're pretending to be me or someone I know." Continue. Choose "me."

Right away, you will receive notice that the account is being reviewed.  Later on, you will receive a message that the account has been removed.

As a precaution, I warn my FB friends about the fake account with the screen shot of the fake account. I advise them to check for any fake accounts with their names and teach them what to do if they should discover impersonators.

It's important for all of us to be vigilant and do our part to remove fake Facebook Accounts. Hackers, even possibly Russians using social media for propaganda, may be responsible for these fake accounts. For further information, please read the articles below, and note that fake accounts seem to be used for political purposes.

Read also
Facebook admits up to 270m users are fake and duplicate accounts
Fake Russian Facebook Accounts Bought $100,000 in Political Ads
Facebook says it took down "tens of thousands of fake accounts before German Election

Tags: social media, #facebook #fakeaccounts #hackers #Russian

#Filipina Women Authors and Writing by Prosy Abarquez Delacruz, J.D.

Prosy Delacruz, one of the women writers featured in the forthcoming Pinay Gathering at Philippine Expressions Bookshop, wrote the following piece, which was published in Asian Journal.  The Pinay Gathering will be on Saturday, March 17, 2018, 3-6 p.m. at 479 W. Sixth Street, Suite 105, San Pedro, CA 90731, RSVP 1-310-514-9139
~~~

Women authors: Writing is the intersectional expression of their multidimensional stories

 https://shar.es/1LG7ZI via Asian Journal

By Prosy Abarquez Delacruz, J.D.

Published: March 10, 2018 

INVITATION: Pinay Gathering, Philippine Expressions Bookshop, 3/17/18 3 p.m.

Philippine Expressions Bookshop
Invites you to a
Pinay Gathering
to honor Filipina American authors in celebration of Women's History Month

Saturday, March 17, 2018 from 3-6 p.m.
479 W. Sixth Street #105
San Pedro, CA 90731
RSVP 1-310-514-9139 
Info@PhilippineBookshop.com


Books Talks & Signings with: 
Cecilia Manguerra Brainard (The Newspaper Widow), 
Prosy Abarquez-DelaCruz (Even the Rainbow has a Body, Distinct Artistic Legacies), 
Marianne Villanueva (Mayor of the Roses),  
Irene Suico- Soriano (Primates from an Archipelago: Poems), 
Angela Narcisso-Torres (Blood Orange: Poems), and
Tessie Jayme (Black Clouds in Manila)

JOIN US!

Tags: #Philippines #Filipino #Filipina #Pinoy #pinay #books #literature #goodreads #literaryreading #event #openmic #librarygirl #Filam #writers #authors #poets

Read also:

Philippines Graphic Book Review of Magdalena, novel by Cecilia Brainard

Women and My Writing by Cecilia Brainard

Philippines Graphic Book Review of MAGDALENA, novel by Cecilia Brainard

BOOK REVIEW OF MAGDALENA, 

A NOVEL BY CECILIA MANGUERRA BRAINARD

The Tremendous Power of Secrets: Cecilia Manguerra Brainard's 'Magdalena'

Review by Alma Anonas-Carpio, Literary Editor and Associate Editor of Philippines Graphic
https://philippinesgraphic.net/the-tremendous-power-of-secrets-cecilla-manguerra-brainards-magdalena/

The first call of a novel is to tell a story. Not just any story, mind you, but the story only the author of the novel can tell in his or her unique way. What the reader is led to expect is a bit of an escape into another time and world, perhaps a tentative acquaintance with the characters who populate the text.

Selfie: Journey of a Woman Writer, by Cecilia Brainard at Miriam College QC, Philippines

Dear Readers,
I've been down with the flu and have not been able to blog.  I've been able to post in Facebook and Instagram.

Here's a Selfie taken after the talk I gave at Miriam College, Quezon City, Philippines, last  February 5, 2018. Titled "Journey of a Woman Writer," my PowerPoint Presentation, talk, and discussion was attended by some 400 students and teachers.

Now that I'm better I promise to get back to blogging.  Please stay tuned!

Cecilia

Cecilia Brainard's Literary Events for 2018 - Update

Cecilia Brainard's Upcoming Literary Events 2018

Saturday, March 17, Afternoon, Pinay Gathering, Philippine Expressions, 479 W. 6th St., San Pedro, CA, tel: 1-310-514-9139

Thursday, April 26, 8 p.m. – Featured Performer, Paris Lit Up Open Mic Reading, Culture Rapide, 103 Rue Julien Lacroix, 75020 Paris, France

Saturday, May 26, 3 p.m. – Central Library, Los Angeles Public Library, LA, CA, tel: 1-213-228-7128

~~~

I'm updating my Announcement of Literary Events for 2018. Note that in March 17, St. Patrick's Day, I will participate in Philippine Expressions "Pinay Gathering", along with other Filipina writers. 

The Paris Event is on in April 26 at 8 p.m. I've attended the Open Mic Reading at the Culture Rapide in Paris, and it's a great literary event. Before the reading, there is an open bar and some food to those who wish to eat and imbibe. The reading itself is in the bar - yes, there is a bar, but everyone is well-behaved -- and there is a small stage, and small tables and chairs, and lots of writers and poets and people who love literature. People are supportive and there is great energy all around. I've happy they're featuring me this April. 

In May, I'm on with writer-novelist Paulino Lim at the Los Angeles Public Library's Central Library on May 26 at 3 p.m. 

Join me - us!!!

Tags: #literature #Paris #Philippines #CeciliaBrainard #novelist #writer #goodreads #librarygirl #Pinay #PhilippineLiterature #FilAm #Cebu

Read also:

• Cebu as Inspiration to My Writings by Cecilia Brainard
• Women and My Writing by Cecilia Brainard

Cecilia Brainard -- Journey of a Woman Writer by Maribel Paraz

l-r: Edna Del Rosario, Dr. Loreta Castro, Cecilia Brainard, Maribel Paraz

Cecilia Brainard - Journey of a Woman Writer
by Maribel Alvarez Paraz

Cecilia Manguerra Brainard is celebrating her Maryknoll class' Golden Jubilee this year. She graduated from Maryknoll College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Arts in 1968. She received Maryknoll College's Amazing Alumni Achiever Award in 2003. 

Her talk on February 5, 2018 was her special gift to Maryknoll/Miriam College, her way of giving back to her Alma Mater.

Bitcoin - The Emperor Has No Clothes by Manny Gonzalez, Guest Blogger

Bitcoin – The Emperor Has No Clothes

By Manny Gonzalez, Resident Shareholder, Plantation Bay Resort & Spa

My Guest Blogger Manny Gonzalez brings a unique multi-disciplinary perspective to this issue – public policy, financial analysis, and technology. As an officer of the World Bank, Mr. Gonzalez advised governments and financial institutions; as an investment banker he designed financial derivatives and assessed IPOs. He has als been awarded 5 US Patents related to gathering information on the internet. He is now a successful entrepreneur. MBA Columbia University, Robert J. McKim, Jr., Fellow, and Roswell McCrea Award winner.

This article first appeared in the Philippine Star. It is reprinted with the author's permission.

 Thinking of plunging into Bitcoins? Read this first.

Dazzled by the technology, some claim Bitcoins are a new kind of money. No, they aren’t, and I’ll explain why. Unlike some parties who should know better, I was not asleep during my Money & Banking classes.

A Zulueta Cat Story by Cecilia Brainard

A Zulueta Cat Story
By Cecilia Brainard

One stormy night several years ago, I heard a kitten meowing and shrieking nonstop. In the morning, Vidal, the chief jefe here in my Zulueta place, said a mother cat and her four kittens had been dumped on the sidewalk by neighbors. The mother cat went off to find a home, and then she proceeded to transport her kittens, except for the one who cried all night.

In the morning, when we inspected the kitten (with heavy rain crashing down on us), we saw that its eyes were still closed. It was a newborn.

We covered the kitten with a box to try to keep it dry, and we waited for its mom to come back for him.

By late afternoon the kitten was still meowing away in great distress. We  decided the mother cat would not return for the kitten and so we took it in. Vidal fed it milk via eyedropper, and we brought it to the vet for shots. Vidal took excellent care of the kitten and Milagro grew plump and handsome.

 So plump and handsome that one day months later someone stole him.  

We were heartbroken, Vidal especially.

Never again, I declared, never will I get emotionally involved with a rescue animal like that.

But yesterday a scrawny little kitten crawled into our garage. He looked half-dead. We had to take care of him. We are taking care of him.

So, here we go again, cleaning the kitten, feeding him, and helping him. His eyes are open and he can walk around. He even has the good sense to poop and pee in the garden soil.

 Since the kitten found us and needs help, we will do so but I hope this little guy does better than the other rescue kitten.

The picture shows Vidal with the little kitten.🐈

Tags: #cats #kittens #rescuecats #pets #animals #feline #Cebu #Philippines #personalessay #goodreads #CeciliaBrainard

Read also:

School Life in the Philippines in the '60s - Description & Memorabilia photos
Post War Cebu Life - More Memorabilia photos
Where Have All the Young Men Gone? - Memorabilia Photos 
The Bachelor and Femina Days of Cebu- Memorabilia photos of Cecilia 
The Schools I attended, Part 1, St.Theresa's College
The Schools I attended, Part 2, UP & Maryknoll
The Schools I attended, Part 3, UCLA
Saying Goodbye to Papa
Where the Daydreaming Came From 
Death of a Carnival Queen

Magnificence -- Short Story by Estrella D. Alfon - Writer from Cebu, Philippines

MAGNIFICENCE
Short Story by
ESTRELLA D. ALFON

There was nothing to fear, for the man was always so gentle, so kind. At night when the little girl and her brother were bathed in the light of the big shaded bulb that hung over the big study table in the downstairs hall, the man would knock gently on the door, and come in. he would stand for a while just beyond the pool of light, his feet in the circle of illumination, the rest of him in shadow. The little girl and her brother would look up at him where they sat at the big table, their eyes bright in the bright light, and watch him come fully into the light, but his voice soft, his manner slow. He would smell very faintly of sweat and pomade, but the children didn’t mind although they did notice, for they waited for him every evening as they sat at their lessons like this. He’d throw his visored cap on the table, and it would fall down with a soft plop, then he’d nod his head to say one was right, or shake it to say one was wrong.

Melancholia in Cebu by Cecilia Brainard

Where did that melancholia come from, that grief that swept over me as I moved around Cebu yesterday?

I found myself remembering tinseled memories of this place where I was born and raised -- my first home. It seemed smaller then, and simpler, and more "homey" in the way we visited one another throughout the day to eat together, share tidbits heard here and there, weave the fabric that bound us together in this small seaside place.

Now, while Cebu remains small, it's crowded and busy and people rush here and there as they do in Manila and big cities. Most of the people are strangers to me. Even the idioms they use and their mannerisms are unfamiliar to me. And worse of all, many of the people I once knew are gone - moved to other places, to Manila or Canada or Europe or America as I did.  Some have died.

Seminar Workshop at Cebu Normal University with Cecilia Brainard

Here are some pictures taken at the whole-day Workshop held at the Cebu Normal University and conducted by Cecilia Brainard (Jan. 26, 2018). Thanks to Dr. Reynaldo Caturza and other organizers. 

I did a PowerPoint Presentation about my roots as a writer. Afterwards, I talked about the Narrative Voice and also covered the elements of creative writing.  The participants had several writing exercises with sharing.  We had a very productive and joyful day.

The University presented me with a Certificate of Appreciation.  I gave them some of my books for their library.

There are more pictures, but internet is slow, so check back.

Stay tuned for more pictures.  In fact, you can see most of them in Facebook and Instagram.

PAAWWW - Pacific Asian American Women Writers West - Reading and Panel Discussion

Seated l-r: Jude Narita, Joyce Nako, Amy Uyematsu; Standing l-r" Diane Ujiiye, Miya Iwataki, Cecilia Brainard

Timothy Toyama organized a reading and panel discussion of PAAWWW (Pacific Asian American Women Writers West), a group I belonged to back in the late 1980s.

It was a dynamic group of talented Asian American women who were poets, fiction writers, script writers, actresses, producers, and directors, including: Emma Gee, Momoko Iko, Jude Narita, Joyce Nako, Naomi Hirahara, Amy Uyematsu, Akemi Kikumura, Velina Hasu Houston, Miya Iwataki, Diane Ujiiye, June Chim, Chungmi Kim, and others. Many of these women went on to make significant contribution in their communities and the arts.

Early Writings of Cecilia Brainard - Diary of Cecilia #literature #Philippines

These are the journal notebooks I wrote in when I was in high school and college (and beyond). I edited them into the book, Cecilia's Diary: 1962-1969 (Anvil 2003). I've included a news account from Philippine Star about the book - read below.

Catholic school girl’s diary is vivid account (Philippine Star, May 19, 2003)

 Anvil Publishing releases another book by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard, internationally celebrated and award-winning author and editor.  Cecilia’s Diary: 1962-1969, is a faithful record of Brainard’s days as a young colegiala.  It is refreshing and funny, replete with references to a religious upbringing and a privileged lifestyle.  Reading a diary may seem like voyeurism, but the inner thoughts of Catholic girls make for an interesting study on teen angst.

On dating, the young Cecilia writes “Jun said I’m much prettier than Priscilla and more intelligent too. I asked him what he thought of a girl who’s intelligent but not pretty.  He said it takes an intelligent boy to fall for an intelligent girl.

“I think that I’ll marry (if I marry) an engineer or businessman.  …It would be perfect, if I become an industrial engineer. …Help me, dear God. I’ll always remember the small but important things Sister Miguela told us: always be neat, learn how to cook, save money, how to work, how to sacrifice.  Real love is self-sacrifice.  I wonder if I shall learn to sacrifice to someone.

“Oh dear God, whoever, wherever my future husband is, please protect him. Keep him pure, holy, and good. May we meet each other properly, and may everything turn out fine. Help him, dear God.  Thank you.”

Cecilia’s Diary inspires a comparison of the different generations of Filipinas.  Regardless of time, the book is a vivid account of growing up, to which all young Filipinas can identify with.  It can also serve as a valuable reference to high school students who are keen on starting their own journals.

As Cecilia aptly puts it “Age is a state of mind.  The more one thinks of what was, the older he is.  The young are the ones who think of tomorrow.”

Copies of Cecilia’s Diary from are available at all National Bookstore and Powerbooks branches.   A special student edition is available for adoption in the high school level.  For inquiries, please call Anvil Publishing at 6719235/6711899.

Cecilia's Diary is available in Kindle - click on link

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A7JPXWY

Tags: #goodreads #Philippineliterature #philippines #librarygirl #pinoyreads #fiction #shortstories #Cebu #Manila 

 Read also:

• Fiction - Romeo, Short Story by Cecilia Brainard
• Fiction - The Old Mansion Near the Plaza, Novel Excerpt
• Fiction - The Turkish Seamstress in Ubec, by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard
• Fiction - Flip Gothic, by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard
• Fiction - Manila Without Verna, by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard
• Fiction - Winning Hearts and Minds, by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard

Cecilia Brainard Upcoming Literary Events, #Reading, #Writing Workshops

Cecilia Manguerra Brainard's Upcoming Literary Events - 2018:

Saturday, January 20, 2-4 p.m. -  "Afternoon of PAAWWW (Pacific Asian American Women Writers-West)"
Nisei Veteran's Memorial Hall, 1964 W. 162nd Street, Gardena, CA 90247
1-310-324-6611; info @jci-gardena.org


Friday, January 26, 8 a.m.- 5 p.m. - "The Narrative Voice: A Seminar-Workshop" at the Cebu Normal University, Tandang Sora Hall, Cebu, Philippines

Monday, February 5, 1-2 p.m. - "Journey as a Woman Writer" Little Theater, Miriam College, Quezon City, Philippines


Thursday, April 26,  8 p.m.- - Featured Performer of Paris Lit Up Open Mic Reading, Culture Rapide, 103 rue Julien Lacroix, 75020 Paris, France

I'll be posting future literary events in this page, so check back. Thank you.

Tags:  #openmic #literature #Philippines #writer #novelist #Cebu #Paris #California #SpokenWord #author

Read also

• Fiction - The Old Mansion Near the Plaza, Novel Excerpt
• Fiction/Short Story by Cecilia Brainard "Romeo"
• Fiction - The Turkish Seamstress in Ubec, by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard
• Fiction - Flip Gothic, by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard
• Fiction - Manila Without Verna, by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard
• Fiction - Winning Hearts and Minds, by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard

Short Story by Cecilia Brainard about the Dog "Romeo" 🐶 #literature #Philippines

I'm sharing my short story about a dog, a mother, and #Philippine life in #Manila during the #Marcos Dictatorship. This is part of my short story collection, Vigan and Other Stories (Anvil, 2012). The collection is available from Anvil.com and Kindle (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004EEOIVK) . ~ #CeciliaBrainard 🌴

ROMEO 🐕

by

Cecilia Manguerra Brainard 

It’s Sunday evening and my mother has just returned from the 5:30 Mass at Malate Church. In the past, after Mass she and I would have walked to the Chinese restaurant on Remedios Street where we sat on the table against the mirror, away from the crowded doorway. Mama would have ordered fried rice, sweet and sour pork, pancit, and a crab and lobster dish swimming in white sauce. While we ate, she would ramble on about the Indonesian tenant in the house in Bel Air complaining about a roof leak, or her court case with her uncle, or she would complain about my brother and sisters needing money from her. While she talked I would daydream about going away after graduation, to America or Europe. 

🌞Knitting To Relax #crafts

I picked up #knitting again. It's a great way for a #writer to relax. 📚

This scarf is a simple K3, P3. When I get the hang of it, I'll do popcorn and more complicated designs. ~ 🥀#CeciliaBrainard

🐈Cats Planning Escape #catpics #ceciliabrainard

🐈🐾🐾🐾Che and Tesla planning an escape but getting sidetracked by #CeciliaBrainard 's novels: 📖When the Rainbow Goddesses Wept, Magdalena, The Newspaper Widow.

Check out: #Amazon #Philippine Expressions # SolidaridadBookshop #MtCloudBookstore #palhbooks.com

Mactan, Fifty Years Ago and Now, by #ceciliabrainard #VietnamWar

"The American servicemen overran Mactan and Cebu for a few years. Before the Vietnam War ended in April 1975, the huge number of Americans in Mactan and Cebu petered out. Eventually, the Mactan Air Base was turned over to the Philippine Air Force. The honky-tonk bars and colorful girls vanished along with the young men who had walked the streets – my streets -- of Mactan and Cebu. Now, 50 years later, the memory of the American Air Base and the Americans in Mactan has grown dim and distant, like ghosts, almost forgotten." 

📚~ Cecilia Brainard

From “Mactan, Fifty Years Ago and Now”

Read the whole article at:

http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/…/mactan-50-years-ago-and…
&
http://cbrainard.blogspot.com/…/mactan-50-years-ago-and-now…


Tags: #ceciliabrainard  #Vietnam #war #Cebu #Philippines #military #goodread

Read also:

• Cebu as Inspiration to My Writings by Cecilia Brainard
• Women and My Writing by Cecilia Brainard

A Line from The Newspaper Widow by Cecilia Brainard #novel #murdermystery

This is a line from my #novel, The Newspaper Widow, published by the University of Santo Tomas Publishing House. This #literary #murdermystery is available from Solidaridad Bookshop, Mt. Cloud Bookshop, #PhilippineExpressions, Palhbooks.com, Amazon.com #books #murder #bookworm#librarygirl #librarylife #historical #crimefiction #widow


FOREWORD Review:

The Newspaper Widow, a novel by
Cecilia Manguerra Brainard

published by the University of Santo Tomas Publishing House, and distributed in the US by Philippine American Literary House, it is available from Amazon.com

Softcover $18.95 (238pp)
978-971-506811-6

While at first glance The Newspaper Widow seems like a standard historical mystery, that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Cecilia Manguerra Brainard’s novel is full and complex, overflowing with textured, fully realized characters who drive the Read also

Kirkus Review of Cecilia Brainard's When the Rainbow Goddess Wept

World Literature Today Review of Cecilia Brainard's Magdalena

Melus Journal Review of Magdalena by Cecilia Brainard's Magdalena

 Click here for Review of Cecilia Brainard's Growing Up Filipino by Booklist

Click here for School Library Journal of Cecilia Brainard's Growing Up Filipinostory on every page.

Ines Maceda, the “newspaper widow,” aims to clear her son’s name. He has been accused of murdering a priest. In addition, Ines grieves for her deceased husband and combats the lingering trauma of earlier miscarriages. Her development is one of the shining elements of the novel—she feels tangible, rooted in the story and the setting.

The Newspaper Widow offers a nuanced glance into Filipino society circa 1908. It is a world rich with history, myth, and ritual; descriptions pulse with life, providing crucial insights into aspects of Filipino culture and world colonial history, such as encounters with the “Island of the Living Dead,” sectioned off to contain those inflicted with leprosy, and once the world’s largest leper colony.

While on the surface the book is a crime story, the plot is actually layered and unique. One of the novel’s greatest strengths is how it raises interesting, complicated questions about morality and justice while Ines searches for the priest’s true killer: Is death ever an apt punishment for a crime? Is revenge moral, or even necessary?

Refreshingly, nothing is black and white.

For all of The Newspaper Widow’s greatness, sometimes there are too many layers to the plot, and the ending falls a bit flat in comparison to the rest of the narrative. But flaws are minor; overall, this is a solid, satisfying work of literature.

Cecilia Manguerra Brainard displays masterful storytelling skill in The Newspaper Widow, a unique, memorable mystery.

Happy New Year - #2018

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I'm wishing everyone peace, joy, and good health this 2018 and always!