Bite-Size Book Review: The Newspaper Widow by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard

 Here's a bite-size book review of The Newspaper Widow, a novel by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard. 

I fell for the works of California-based Cebuano author Cecilia Manguerra Brainard after reading her first novel, The Rainbow Goddess Wept. In that book, the author stitches Philippine folklore with World War II history as told by a young girl from Ubec (Cebu spelled backward), whose genteel life was broken and shattered by the horrors of war.

Now, in The Newspaper Widow, Manguerra takes us to the turn-of-20th century Ubec. The American colonial authorities, by now, have already established rule over the Philippine islands. The novel centers on the mysterious death of a Spanish priest and how the protagonist, Ines de Castro -  a steely, businessminded mother - took it upon herself to seek the truth and justice for her wronged son. I appreciate how Ms. Brainard integrated history and social narratives in this novel, reflecting the reality of the period which this book attempts to impress. The thick, layered plot is also an interesting point. Every character has a story to tell, I think each one merits getting featured in a novel. How she ended it with a new beginning for the love story of Melisande (Ines's French friend) and Samir (Ines's lover) is just perfect against the mind-boggling dective-story-like start. 

Interested? The Newspaper Widow is available at @lazadaph and @shopee_ph .

About Cecilia Manguerra Brainard (from the author's official website)

Cecilia Manguerra Brainard was born after World War II in Cebu, Philippines, the fourth surviving child of Mariano Flores Manguerra and Concepcion Cuenco Manguerra. Her father, a civil engineer, came from Sta. Rosa, Laguna. Her mother belonged to a political family of Cebu and was a successful business woman and realtor.

Cecilia grew up in the port city of Cebu in Central Philippines, a place that retains its Spanish-Colonial influences, inspiring Cecilia to create her mythical setting called “Ubec” which echoes the Santo Niño Church, triangular Spanish fort, and old buildings and streets of the real Cebu. Her three novels — When the Rainbow Goddess Wept, Magdalena, and The Newspaper Widow are set (even partially) in Ubec. Ubec also appears in her three short story collections — Woman in Horns and Other Stories, Acapulco at Sunset and Other Stories, and Vigan and Other Stories.

She attended St. Theresa’s College in Cebu and in Manila and she earned her BA in Communications Arts from Maryknoll College. She migrated to the United States to do graduate work in Film Making at UCLA. She later turned to writing which suits her individualistic personality better.