![]() ![]() ![]() The stories are set roughly during the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos. So when Jesus “visits his dreams and scolds him for running too hard after power and away from faith,” he (in a Flannery O’Connor-like twist) decides to run in the Boston marathon. A Philippine politician, for example, believes he owes Jesus for helping him to pass a rural redistricting bill. They view their beliefs through a kind of superstitious irony. Statues are taken from the churches, and the girls “dolled up in their little white dresses to watch” festivals of the Virgin Mary.Īlvar’s characters walk in religious processions, go to Mass and say the rosary, but they never quite get the meaning of their Roman Catholicism. ![]() There’s the “sari-sari” or variety store, “which smells like a heady mix of bubble gum and vinegar.” Sodas are sold from plastic sleeves. Yet after reading In the Country, her evocative debut story collection, one could argue she has never actually left the Philippines or, put another way, that the country has never left her.ĭetails from Philippine life infuse these nine stories, adding authenticity and a memoir-like quality, as does Alvar’s frequent use of the first person point of view. Mia Alvar was born in the Philippines, spent her early childhood in Bahrain and grew up in New York where she lives now. ![]()
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