by Randy Ribay ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 27, 2024
A powerful and moving family saga.
Explores the relationships among four generations of Filipino American boys and men.
In 1929, 16-year-old Francisco Maghabol immigrates from Ilocos Sur in the Philippines to California, lured by the promise of riches. Instead, he ends up doing grueling agricultural work for a dollar a day and faces violent racism. In 1965, Emil studies hard, hoping to attend college and make it in America, unlike his absent father, Francisco. Determined to escape his father’s divisive reputation for organizing strikes for Filipino workers, Emil attempts to assimilate. In Colorado in 1983, Chris wants to play football, but his controlling, grades-focused dad, Emil, forces him off the team. A school history assignment and a Filipino classmate make Chris realize he wants to learn about the culture his father has erased. In 2020, Enzo, Chris’ son, has just started managing his anxiety—but thanks to the spreading pandemic, Lolo Emil, the grandfather none of them like, comes to live with them in Philadelphia, causing tension. Told in alternating viewpoints, this strongly characterized novel covers the boys’ struggles with identity against the backdrop of changes in American society. The many heartwarming and heartbreaking moments offer deep insights into intergenerational patterns and how one’s life experiences and upbringing affect parenting and relationships. Ribay weaves historical events in the U.S. and the Philippines and Filipino cultural elements into the story, showing their impact on the Filipino diaspora.
A powerful and moving family saga. (family tree, author's note, resources) (Fiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Aug. 27, 2024
ISBN: 9780593461419
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Kokila
Review Posted Online: June 4, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2024
Share your opinion of this book
More by Randy Ribay
BOOK REVIEW
by Randy Ribay
BOOK REVIEW
by Randy Ribay
BOOK REVIEW
by Randy Ribay
More About This Book
PROFILES
by Kerri Maniscalco ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 20, 2016
Perhaps a more genuinely enlightened protagonist would have made this debut more engaging
Audrey Rose Wadsworth, 17, would rather perform autopsies in her uncle’s dark laboratory than find a suitable husband, as is the socially acceptable rite of passage for a young, white British lady in the late 1800s.
The story immediately brings Audrey into a fractious pairing with her uncle’s young assistant, Thomas Cresswell. The two engage in predictable rounds of “I’m smarter than you are” banter, while Audrey’s older brother, Nathaniel, taunts her for being a girl out of her place. Horrific murders of prostitutes whose identities point to associations with the Wadsworth estate prompt Audrey to start her own investigation, with Thomas as her sidekick. Audrey’s narration is both ponderous and polemical, as she sees her pursuit of her goals and this investigation as part of a crusade for women. She declares that the slain aren’t merely prostitutes but “daughters and wives and mothers,” but she’s also made it a point to deny any alignment with the profiled victims: “I am not going as a prostitute. I am simply blending in.” Audrey also expresses a narrow view of her desired gender role, asserting that “I was determined to be both pretty and fierce,” as if to say that physical beauty and liking “girly” things are integral to feminism. The graphic descriptions of mutilated women don’t do much to speed the pace.
Perhaps a more genuinely enlightened protagonist would have made this debut more engaging . (Historical thriller. 15-18)Pub Date: Sept. 20, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-316-27349-7
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Jimmy Patterson/Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2016
Share your opinion of this book
More by Kerri Maniscalco
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
by Laura Nowlin ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 6, 2024
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind.
In this companion novel to 2013’s If He Had Been With Me, three characters tell their sides of the story.
Finn’s narrative starts three days before his death. He explores the progress of his unrequited love for best friend Autumn up until the day he finally expresses his feelings. Finn’s story ends with his tragic death, which leaves his close friends devastated, unmoored, and uncertain how to go on. Jack’s section follows, offering a heartbreaking look at what it’s like to live with grief. Jack works to overcome the anger he feels toward Sylvie, the girlfriend Finn was breaking up with when he died, and Autumn, the girl he was preparing to build his life around (but whom Jack believed wasn’t good enough for Finn). But when Jack sees how Autumn’s grief matches his own, it changes their understanding of one another. Autumn’s chapters trace her life without Finn as readers follow her struggles with mental health and balancing love and loss. Those who have read the earlier book will better connect with and feel for these characters, particularly since they’ll have a more well-rounded impression of Finn. The pain and anger is well written, and the novel highlights the most troublesome aspects of young adulthood: overconfidence sprinkled with heavy insecurities, fear-fueled decisions, bad communication, and brash judgments. Characters are cued white.
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind. (author’s note, content warning) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781728276229
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
Share your opinion of this book
More by Laura Nowlin
BOOK REVIEW
by Laura Nowlin
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Hey there, book lover.
We’re glad you found a book that interests you!
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Don’t fret. We’ll find you.