TRAVELS (and more) WITH CECILIA BRAINARD

Monday, December 29, 2025

The Transparent Sun and Other Stories by Linda T. Casper (Excerpt)

The very first published book by Linda Ty-Casper was THE TRANSPARENT SUN AND OTHER STORIES, published by Alberto Florentino as part of his Peso Book Series. The Peso Books were small, affordable books, created deliberately to make the books accessible. This was Alberto Florentino's vision. The series included such notable writers as Jose Garcia Villa, Nick Joaquin, Francisco Arcellana, Celso Al. Carunungan, N.V.M.Gonzalez, Wilfrido D. Nolledo, Edith L. Tiempo, and others -- writers who went along with Florentino's vision.

The small books, like chaplets are now impossible to find. I received a copy recently from Linda Ty-Casper, and am sharing photos of the first pages and last, for educational purposes.

To those who avail of these pages, consider acquiring Linda Ty-Casper's other books currently available, such as her Memoir, her biography of her husband Len Casper, and more. You can find these in Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Baybayin Bookshop, Lazada, and Shopee.

Linda Ty-Casper's bio:

Linda Ty-Casper had graduated from her studies in Law from the University of the Philippines and Harvard when she came across erroneous and biased books at Widener Library. She abandoned Law and became an advocate, through faithfully researched historical fiction, of the Filipino’s right to self-definition/determination.

Her 16 books of fiction deal with Philippine events from the 18^th century, the 1896 Philippine revolution, the Philippine-American War (1898-1902), World War II, on to the Martial Law years of the Marcos Dictatorship, and the post-Marcos days until the early 2000s. She has edited her husband's biography, Will You Happen, Past the Silence, Through the Dark: Remembering Leonard Ralph Casper, and she also wrote her memoir, Lives Remembered. Her A Small Party in a Garden: Revised and Critical Edition is forthcoming.

Ms. Casper’s awards include the SEA WRITE Award, UNESCO/P.E.N., Rockefeller (Bellagio), Radcliffe Fellowship, among others. Her stories have been published in Antioch Review, The Asia Magazine, Windsor Review, Hawaii Review, Triquarterly, and others.

Tags: #philippinebooks #filipinoliterature #filipinowriter #booksphilippines

Tuesday, December 23, 2025

Japanese Translation of Cecilia Brainard's World War Two Novel Released

Japanese Translation Cecilia Brainard's World War 2 Novel

I am happy to share the good news that the Japanese translation of my novel, When the Rainbow Goddess Wept, has been released by Genki Shobou of Tokyo. You can find the Japanese edition in Amazon Japan.

https://shorturl.at/4Q62l

This novel is a coming of age of a young girl in the Philippines during World War Two. The book has a rich publication history. It started off with the title of Song of Yvonne, published in 1991. It was picked up by Dutton/Penguin in 1994, then it was published by the University of Michigan Press and remains in print there. The University of Santo Tomas Publishing House re-released the Philippine edition in 2019. The novel has also been translated into Turkish, Portuguese, Arabic, North Macedonia, and (forthcoming) Azerbaijani.

This Japanese edition is particularly welcome because the novel is about the Japanese occupation of the Philippines. The following excerpt from the AP review gives you a good idea about what that novel is about. What I find most impressive with this Japanese edition is that the translator (academic Dr. Takuya Matsuda) and the publisher Genki Shobou published this translation with the goal of informing the younger Japanese about the truth of World War Two.

***

Associated Press book review:

When the Rainbow Goddess Wept by Cecilia Brainard is the tearful, seldom-told story of the Japanese invasion of the Philippines during World War II as seen through the eyes of a young Filipino girl. The many hardships that 9‑year-old Yvonne Macaraig and her family are faced with teach her the value of hope and endurance.

From the beginning, the war deals Yvonne terrible losses. In order to evade the Japanese, Yvonne’s family must leave their home in the city and go into hiding in the countryside. Yvonne is separated from her aunt and cousin, and her eccentric grandfather, Lolo Peping, is killed in the first attack on the city. While fleeing the Japanese, Yvonne’s baby brother is born and tragically dies for lack of medical attention.

Yvonne’s engineer father joins the guerilleros, a group of Filipino soldiers who are trying to defeat the Japanese invaders. For years Yvonne is forced to live in guerillero-held villages, constantly fearing for the safety of herself and her family. The war and the anguish that accompanies it forces Yvonne to group up quickly and to deal with the harsh practicalities of life while still struggling to maintain some of her childhood.

Laydan, Yvonne’s friend and servant, tells her ancient stories of gods, goddesses and enchanted mortals. After Laydan passes away, Yvonne is able to keep hope alive among her war-torn friends and family by repeating the stories Laydan had taught her. Yvonne’s favorite of these stories is that of the Rainbow Goddess, who always makes sure that after even the most terrible rainstorm, a beautiful rainbow will illuminate the sky.

Brainard’s wonderful novel shows how war brings out the best and the worst in people as it describes both the atrocities and the heroics that befall her characters. The novel’s theme, the vast cost of war on the human spirit is illustrated well by Yvonne’s tragic loss of innocence. In the words of her grandfather, Lolo Peping: “Before man sinned, he was innocent. Man’s original sin wasn’t eating the forbidden fruit; it was Cain’s murder of his brother.”

Top Translated Filipino Authors - Includes Cecilia Brainard

Cross-cultural Exchange Via Cecilia Brainard's Translations

Press Release about foreign Translations of Cecilia Manguerra Brainard's Fiction

Publishers of Cecilia Brainard's Foreign Translations

Filip Batkoski (Bata Press)

Leonardo Garzaro (Editor Rua do Sabao)

Senja Pozar - Literary Agent

Dimitris Tsoukatos (Lemvos Editions)

Mohamed Radi (Egyptian Office for Publishing and Distribution

Dejan Trajkoski (Prozart Media)

Nenad Saponja (Agora)

Jale Memmedova (Qanun Publishing House)

Dr. Takuya Matsuda (Genki Shobou)

#booksphilippines

#GoH2025

#ImaginationPeoplestheAir

#NBDB

#nationalbookdevelopmentboard

Cecilia Manguerra Brainard

Friday, December 19, 2025

Brainard Novel Magdalena Shortlisted Akdang Pinoy Choice y

I should acknowledge my novel MAGDALENA for making the shortlist of the Akdang Pinoy Choice Awards. You can find information and book reviews in this site:

https://ceciliabrainard.com/book/magdalena/

Here is the link for the FINAL VOTING round.

bit.ly/APCA2025FINALISTS

Described as a tragic and erotic novel, MAGDALENA has been translated into Arabic (Egyptian Office for Publishing and Distribution), Greek( Lemvos), and North Macedonian (Bata). It will also be translated into Portuguese by Editora Rua do Sabao of Brazil.

Tags: #philippinebooks #filipinoliterature #filipinowriter #booksphilippines

Thursday, December 18, 2025

One-on-One with Author Cecilia Manguerra Brainard About the Frankfurt and Porto Alegre Book Fairs

I'm happy to start 2026 with a talk for The Vicente Sotto Lecture Series, USC Cebuano Studies Center, on Manila time - Friday, January 9, 2026, 10 A.M. Here is information about this Zoom-talk:
***
Title: ONE-ON-ONE WITH AUTHOR CECILIA MANGUERRA BRAINARD ABOUT THE FRANKFURT AND PORTO ALEGRE BOOK FAIRS
In this talk, internationally-acclaimed writer Cecilia Manguerra Brainard shares her first-hand observations from her participation in two major international literary events: the Frankfurt Book Fair in Germany (2024 and 2025) and the Porto Alegre Book Fair in Brazil, where she was invited as a speaker. Drawing from these experiences, she reflects on how Filipino publishers and authors are perceived in global spaces, the opportunities and challenges that arise when representing Philippine literature abroad, and ultimately, whether involvement in such international book fairs is worthwhile.
Brainard’s perspective is shaped not only by her professional engagement in these events but also by her ongoing creative work, which involves writing stories rooted in the history, memory, and culture of Cebu. By bringing Cebuano narratives to wider international audiences, she aims to affirm their place in global literary conversations. Her talk raises timely questions about visibility, cultural presence, and the value of advocating for Philippine, and specifically Cebuano, stories on the world stage.

Read also:

Top Translated Filipino Authors - Includes Cecilia Brainard
Cross-cultural Exchange Via Cecilia Brainard's Translations
Press Release about foreign Translations of Cecilia Manguerra Brainard's Fiction
Publishers of Cecilia Brainard's Foreign Translations
Filip Batkoski (Bata Press)
Leonardo Garzaro (Editor Rua do Sabao)
Senja Pozar - Literary Agent
Dimitris Tsoukatos (Lemvos Editions)
Mohamed Radi (Egyptian Office for Publishing and Distribution
Dejan Trajkoski (Prozart Media)
Nenad Saponja (Agora)
Jale Memmedova (Qanun Publishing House)
Dr. Takuya Matsuda (Genki Shobou)

#GoH2025

#FrankfurtBookFair2025

#ImaginationPeoplestheAir
#brazilbookfair
#portoalegrebookfair
#CebuanoLiterature
#cebuliterature
#PhilippineLiterature
#filipinoliterature
#filipinoauthors

#filipinoliterature

#fbm2025

Cecilia Manguerra Brainard

Wednesday, December 10, 2025

Book Review of How I Became a Writer, by Elfren S. Cruz

Book Review of HOW I BECAME A WRITER: ESSAYS BY FILIPINO AND FILIPINO AMERICAN WRITERS, by Efren Cruz.

https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2025/10/19/2480826/writers-conversation

Writers in Conversation, by Elfren S. Cruz

Published October 19, 2025, Philippine Star

“How I Became a Writer” (2025), edited by California-based writer Cecilia Manguerra Brainard and published by Vibal Foundation under its World Nonfictions imprint, is a readable anthology composed of personal essays written by Filipino and Filipino American writers reflecting on their creative beginnings. And talking about how it all began. Conceived originally as a digital series on Brainard’s blog (the “Filipino FilAm Series”), the project evolved into a significant literary collection, launched on June 7, 2025, in Makati. The essays – some heartfelt, others insightful – are meant not only for remembrance but also serve as reading material in creative writing courses and Philippine literary history classes.

Cecilia Manguerra Brainard

Friday, December 5, 2025

Guest Blogger - Stephanie Lee for Jewel Eternal

My Guest Blogger is Stephanie Lee, founder of Jewel Eternal. Enjoy the photos of her beautiful creations. These pieces are affordable, so be sure and check out her website at www.JewelEternal.com .

Hello, I’m Stephanie — founder of Jewel Eternal. I’m honored to share a little of my heart and my craft.

As a jewelry maker, that touches me deeply. I spend a lot of time thinking about why people wear what they wear — and what emotions or memories sit quietly behind a ring or necklace.

My work centers around custom fine jewelry — pieces tailored to each person’s style, story, and purpose. Whether it’s an everyday ring, a symbolic pendant, a moissanite engagement ring, or a piece meant specifically for travel, I focus on durability, elegance, and personal meaning at an affordable price.

I create custom pieces using moissanite, diamonds, and other fine gemstones, set exclusively in precious metals — 925 sterling silver, solid 14k gold, or solid platinum. Some clients want something bold for a milestone. Others want discreet, beautiful travel-friendly jewelry they can enjoy without worry. Many want something simple and refined for daily wear or a keepsake gift to mark an occasion in life.

I love creating pieces that quietly become part of someone’s life story.