by Rose Cruz Churma
This book review is based on advance copies provided by the publisher—the book is expected to be released on August 27, 2024.
As a bound galley, the reviewed copy is still in the first stage of the printer’s proof and has not been corrected by the author or publisher. Changes are expected to its format and missing artwork (such as the Maghabol family tree) will be included in the final version.
The Maghabol family tree is an important visual of the novel as it traces the family’s history.
It spans four generations—from Francisco Maghabol, the oldest son who sought better economic conditions from the Ilocos region in the Philippines—to Francisco’s great-grandson Enzo, who keeps his mental health issues in check as the 2020 pandemic envelops the world.
This is the latest young adult novel from multi-awarded writer Randy Ribay that spans several periods and four generations of Filipino American males.
Typical of immigrants to the United States, the novel depicts how each generation grapples with identity and assimilation within the imagined family dynamics of each era.
During the1930s Francisco Maghabol arrived in California at 16 and barely eked out a living.
He spent what little money he earned at dance halls and wondered if he should never have left the Philippines. He and his fellow Filipinos also face violence from white men in town who feel threatened that jobs are being taken away from them.
By 1965, Francisco’s son, Emil refused to follow the path taken by his father, Francisco, who became a farm labor organizer.
Despite the bullying from his white schoolmates, low expectations from teachers, and working at his aunt’s restaurant at night, Emil was determined to make it in the United States regardless of the cost.
Emil’s son, Chris is more interested in football than academics. The setting is Denver in 1983. Chris is determined to prove to his overbearing father, Emil, that he has his own mind.
When Chris missed an assignment on “ancestral history” he was removed from the football team. While doing his research, he realized that he wanted to know more about Filipino history.
As the global pandemic took root in 2020, Chris’s son, Enzo struggled to keep his anxiety in check.
Because the family was worried that his Lolo Emil may be prone to getting the virus at his retirement home, he is invited to move into Enzo’s bedroom at their home in Philadelphia. Tensions are high between Enzo’s dad, Chris, and his Lolo Emil.
Enzo hopes that his daily walks with the dog Thor, accompanied by his dad and Lolo Emil will help bridge their decades-long rift.
The story is told from multiple perspectives over four generations of the Maghabol family. It is a story about father-son relationships. The women in the novel are the supporting cast and are drawn up in support of their roles as mothers, wives, or sisters—which is unfortunate. This is predominantly focused on the male perspective, about forging your own path and creating your own future.
The novel is an effective tool to tell our story as Filipino Americans, one that is more accessible to young readers who may not be interested in history in general but will read the book because they can relate to the protagonists (especially the youngest one). Someday, perhaps a novel like this will be written that depicts the Hawai’i-Filipino experience—but hopefully not focused alone on the male perspective, but also explores the role of Filipino women in delineating what we and our families have become.
The author, Randy Ribay, is an American writer of middle school and young adult fiction. He has won the 2019 Freeman Award from the National Consortium for Teaching About Asia and was a finalist for the 2019 National Book Awards for Young People’s Literature category for his book Patron Saints of Nothing. His other works are Project Kawayan, After the Shot Drops, and An Infinite Number of Parallel Universes.
He was born in Manila, Philippines to a Filipino father and American mother, but grew up in the US Midwest. He received his BA in English Literature from the University of Colorado at Boulder and Ed.M. in language and literacy from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
in an interview on his earlier book Patron Saints of Nothing (revolving around Duterte’s drug war in the Philippines), Randy Ribay notes “First and foremost, I was writing it for Filipino Americans, that was the primary audience in mind — Filipino American teenagers. Because I didn’t have that mirror growing up. I don’t remember reading a single book featuring a Filipino until I got to college.”
Randy Ribay is able to capture the voice of modern-day teens in his books—his 13+ years of teaching high school has given him that advantage, which is evident in this latest young adult novel. As he says— “For better or for worse, the teenage voice is in my ear all day long.”
This novel should be on the reading list of teachers who want their students to know more about the history of Filipino Americans in this country.
ROSE CRUZ CHURMA established Kalamansi Books & Things three decades ago. It has evolved from a mail-order bookstore into an online advocacy with the intent of helping global Pinoys discover their heritage by promoting books of value from the Philippines and those written by Filipinos in the Diaspora. We can be reached at kalamansibooks@gmail.com.
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