BEYOND THE MOUNTAINS

A “mail-order bride” from the Philippines creates a nontraditional life for herself in the United States.

At a young age, Deja Vu Prem (then known as Lucia) was dissatisfied with her life in her “remote barrio in the Philippines.” With a mother who she resented, a father who was rarely home, and three relatives who sexually assaulted her, Prem dreamed of leaving for America, a land she learned about from one of her father’s jobs. She writes, “The encounters with the Americans gave me the perspective that America was a safe haven and its people were kind.” Determined to escape from poverty and abuse, at the age of 17, a chance encounter with a stranger leads her to begin corresponding with five American men in search of mail-order brides. When she announces her engagement to one of these men—a sound engineer named Harvey—her family is shocked, but helpless to stop her migration. Soon after a brief wedding in Las Vegas and a subsequent move to California, Prem realizes that her husband is dangerously manipulative. Eventually, Prem embarks on a life of remarkable creativity and independence, which culminates in her realization of her queerness and her decision to rename herself Deja Vu. Prem’s story resonates with frankness, circumspection, and humor. Her ebullient voice radiates warmth and confidence and is just as confident poking fun at her own foibles as it is celebrating her resourcefulness and strength. While the prose can, at times, feel stilted, this story is a pleasure to read.

The triumphant tale of a Filipina who takes control of her story.