7 Must Read Filipino Books

Not too long ago, an article like this would not have existed—there simply wasn’t a lot of Filipino authors with published books in North America.

With Catherine Hernandez’s Scarborough book getting a lot of buzz, and the success of the movie that followed afterwards, Filipino authors are starting to get noticed.

Here are a few must read Filipino books to stash by your bedside table and enjoy reading at your pleasure:

Scarborough by Catherine Hernandez

Step into any school classroom in Scarborough and you’ll see one of the most diverse communities in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

Into this world we are given a unique fly-in-the-wall perspective as Catherine Hernandez masterfully weaves stories of three children—Sylvie, Laura and Bing, a Filipino boy—being cared for in a literacy program by the caring Ms. Hina.

We learn about the struggles the children and their parents go through, from mental illness to bullying, discrimination to extreme poverty.

Bing’s flamboyant Whitney Houston performance at a school recital, coupled with his mother’s take on her “magical” son, is one to watch out for. It is a moment of pure joy, acceptance and hope.

Even with all of Bing’s past struggles as a victim of bullying and his father’s mental illness, nothing can squelch his spirit.

Catherine Hernandez won many awards for this novel, as well as the subsequent movie with the same title.

 

Homicide and Halo-halo by Mia P. Manansala

 

The first few pages of Homicide and Halo-halo already scream Filipino-ness with its glossary of food and pronunciation guide.

Peppered with food references—halo-halo, longganisa and other Filipino pastries lovingly described in minute detail—this book is second in the mystery-slash-foodie series by Mia P. Manansala.

You’ll love the Filipino references: the puns (Brew-ha Cafe), the pageant culture, and the food! You’ll be wanting to cook or steam or bake something by the end of the book.

Oh wait, Manansala wisely included the recipes, too. It’s so refreshing to read a book with Filipino cultural references woven into every facet of the written work.

Manansala has since written two more books in the series: Blackmail and Bibingka, and Murder and Mamon.

Reuniting with Strangers by Jennilee Austria-Bonifacio

 

“Reuniting with Strangers” is sure to tug at every Filipino’s heartstrings as it encapsulates what happens when families are separated, reunited or relocate to a different country.

Moving chapter by chapter from the frigid city of Iqaluit to the smokestacks of Sarnia, or from a bustling city in Taguig, Philippines to an apartment in Toronto, the novel introduces new characters with each chapter, but with one common thread: a small boy named Monolith.

Read with bated breath the kundiman chapter, with its “Bayan Ko” reference—arguably the Philippines’ most revered and patriotic song. It is a tearjerker.

The song’s lyrics tug at the grief, the longing of each Filipino to be free of outside influences, to be free from conquerors, to be released from being caged.

This is perhaps my most favourite Filipino book of all: an easy read, coupled with relatable, unforgettable characters struggling with issues that most Overseas Foreign Worker (OFW) or Filipino immigrant has felt or experienced.

 

Magdaragat: An Anthology of Filipino-Canadian Writing

Poems interspersed with essays on every imaginable topic with one common theme: the Filipino experience. The time has finally come for a collection of Filipino writing, 375 page deep.

 

Indomitable Canadian Filipinos

 

Part history, part who’s who, part collection of news articles about Filipinos living and thriving in Canada, this comprehensive book is a major undertaking, and one that should be part of every Filipino bookshelf.

 

Mayumu: Filipino American Desserts Remixed by Abi Balingit

 

 

What do you get when you elevate, beautify, remix classic Filipino recipes and give them the plating, explanation and vivid colour they deserve? Look no further than this gorgeous, eye-candy of a recipe book Mayumu (which means “sweet” in Kapampangan) by rainbow-haired Abi Balingit. Love love love this.

 

Our Bodies Their Battlefield by Christina Lamb

 

 

While it’s true that this book was not written by a Filipino, it may well be the most important book about Filipino history you’ll ever read with its chapter on Filipino “comfort women” during World War II. Yes, the stories are painful to read and very disturbing, but we need to hear the stories of these women who are the silent, unheralded, unnoticed, uncompensated victims of war who paid such a high price for our freedom. Let us never forget them, our lolas, who suffered so much.