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PALH or Philippine American Literary House publishes fine Philippine and Philippine American books and Kindle e-books. They are available from Amazon, Philippine Expressions Bookshop (tel. 1-310-514-9139), and PALH. To order from PALH, email palhbooks@gmail.com.
Benedicta Takes Wing and Other Stories by Veronica Montes PALH 2018, 190 pages
ISBN 9780971945876 (sc) $14.99; 9780971945869 (hb) $24.99
Benedicta Takes Wing and Other Stories, is the debut collection of short fiction by Filipino American writer Veronica Montes. In these fourteen stories, Montes explores the intricate workings of Filipino families as they struggle to define their place in the world. Two American-born sisters bumble their way through an unforgettable night at a Manila nightclub famed for its staff of midgets. The mother of legendary warrior Gabriela Silang has been lost to history, but here she is given voice to share her story. A lonely, middle-aged woman's life changes when she stumbles on a surrogate son and together they create a makeshift family. "Veronica Montes limn the lives of Filipino families," writes author Benito Vergara, "with wit, simmering fury, and an abundance of generosity. With her sharp eye for the telling detail, she depicts the grief and everyday joy handed down as inheritance, the affections and denials the bind Filipino families together."
Growing Up Filipino: Stories for Young Adults, ed. Cecilia Brainard PALH 2003, 283 pages
ISBN 0971945802 (sc) $21.95
"Emerging and established award-winning writers are the authors of this fine collection of 29 stories about what it means to be young and Filipino in the Philippines and in the United States...This impressive array captures the complexities of both the Filipino culture and history and the realities of the lives of young adults no matter what their ethnic affiliation. Each story is assigned to one of five universal themes: family, angst, friendship, love, and home" ~ Glenna Sloan, Bookbird Journal International
Growing Up Filipino II: More Stories for Young Adults, ed. Cecilia Brainard PALH 2009, 258 pages
ISBN 9780971945838 (sc) $21.95; ISBN 9780971945821 (hb) $29.95
"This collection of 27 short stories, the followup to the critically-acclaimed Growing Up Filipino, reflects the impact of post-9/11 wartime sensibilities among Filipino writers living in the Philippines, United States, and Canada. Although similar topics of family, memoir, and coming-of-age thread through both collections, the pieces are not grouped by theme, but nevertheless weave a constantly shifting tapestry of Filipino identity. The challenges and conflicts of unique ancestry and struggles for identity provide a rich background for modern urban realism ... These is plenty here to stimulate discussion and encourage an appreciation of Filipino writing and culture. The anthology is a worthy successor to the first volume and has appeal to an audience beyond high schoool literature courses." ~ Roxanne Spencer, School Library Journal
PAWWA 2009, Distributed by PALH, 260 pages; Available from PALH
ISBN 9780963228109 (sc) $8
"In this ambitious book, seventeen leading scholars and writers survey some significant themes and issues in the Philippines and the United States during the 20th century. We have Cecilia Manguerra Brainard on the significance of Magellan's voyage, and Edmundo F. Litton on colonialism and education. Epifanio San Juan on the Filipino diaspora, Valorie Slaughter Bejarano on Filipino life in L.A., Luisa Igloria on revolutionary Filipino women's poetry, and much more. This work offers an important insight into the history of the Philippines and will become a benchmark for future studies." ~ Roger N. Buckley, Professor of History and Director, Asian American Studies Institute, University of Connecticut.
Magdalena by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard
University of Santo Tomas Publishing House 2016, Manila, Distributed by PALH, 146 pages
ISBN 9789715068017 (sc) $15.95
This second novel of Cecilia Manguerra Brainard blends a series of multiple perspectives to create a polyphony of voices that enacts Philippine society during periods of war that affected the Philippines: Philippine-American War at the turn of the century, World War Two, and the Vietnam War. The fragmented narrative is a nuanced vision of the workings of culture, social class, obligation and the Filipino personality. First published in 2003 in the US, the book has received favorable books reviews and academic attention and was reissued by the UST Publishing House in 2016.
The Newspaper Widow by Cecilia Manguerra BrainardUniversity of Santo Tomas Publishing House 2017, Manila, Distributed by PALH, 238 pages
ISBN 9789715068116 (sc) $18.95
Cecilia Manguerra Brainard, author of the acclaimed World War Two novel, When the Rainbow Goddess Wept (University of Michigan Press) presents her third novel, The Newspaper Widow, which is set in the Philippines in 1909 during the early years of the United States' colonial empire in Asia. Brainard combines compelling characters with an intriguing mystery and page-turning literary suspense. What begins as a murder mystery transforms into something greater as love, loyalty, and friendship are tested and refined. The novel was shortlisted for the inaugural Cirilo F. Bautista Prize for the novel.
Please, San Antonio! & Melisande in Paris: Two Novellas, Special International Edition, by Eve La Salle Caram and Cecilia BrainardPALH, 2018, 168 pages (sc) $14.95 Advanced copies available from PALH
ISBN 9780971945883
In Eve LaSalle Caram's Please, San Antonio!, an emotionally isolated American woman's trip to Rome becomes a powerful quest to find what she has lost: her creativiey, identity, and "an open place in her heart."
In Cecilia Manguerra Brainard's Melisande in Paris, a young seamstress from the French countryside comes to Paris to assist her dressmaker aunt, and discovers her talent, strength, and a precious "feeling of wholeness" in her new lover's arms.
Together, Caram's Beatrice and Brainard's Melisande cross geographical borders and borders of the heart with vitality and spirit, and will inspire those who believe in the possibility of heaven on earth.
A River, One Woman-Deep: Stories by Linda Ty-CasperPALH 2017, 228 pages
ISBN 9780971945852 (sc) $18.99; 987097191945845 (hb) $29.95
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.
PALHBOOKS.com also carries hard-to-find copies of Cecilia Manguerra Brainard's books. Email palhbooks@gmail.com for more information:
Cecilia's Diary: 1962-1969
Contemporary Fiction by Filipinos in America
Fundamentals of Creative Writing
Magnificat: Mama Mary's Pilgrim Sites
Out of Cebu: Essays and Personal Prose
When the Rainbow Goddess Wept
Vigan and Other Stories
Woman with Horns and Other Stories
Angelica's Daughters: A Dugtungan Novel
Behind the Walls: Life of Convent Girls
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Benedicta Takes Wing and Other Stories by Veronica Montes
Growing Up Filipino: Stories for Young Adults Ed by Cecilia Brainard
Growing Up Filipino II: More Stories for Young Adults Ed by Cecilia Brainard
Journey of 100 Years: Reflections on the Centennial of Philippine Independence, Ed Cecilia Brainard
Magdalena by Cecilia Brainard
The Newspaper Widow by Cecilia Brainard
Please, San Antonio! & Melisande in Paris by Eve La Salle Caram and Cecilia Brainard
A River, One-Woman Deep: Stories by Linda Ty-Casper