- Nominated as an ALA Best Graphic Novel for Teens
- Nominated for the 2018 Joe Schuster Award for Best Author
- Reviews can be found here.
“Touching and joyous, with vivid recollections of food, matriarchy, family, and politics told in an Hergé-inspired style that’s deceptively simple but apt for its subject.” (Publisher’s Weekly)
“With wide-eyed clarity and teenaged innocence, Mapa shows readers the rise and fall of a totalitarian state from her unique perspective: the awkward schoolyard conflicts, the upheaval of normalcy during days of general strikes, and the palpable tension of a family caught in the middle of a military coup. It’s both a vivid revisitation of the recent past and a harrowing omen of days that many young people the world over may soon face for themselves.” (Montreal Review of Books)
“This energetic, enjoyable, easy-to-read tale vibrates with youthful passion as Mapa tells the story of growing up in the Philippines of the 1980s.” (London Free Press)
It is my personal account of returning to Manila for my father’s funeral and the memories his sudden death trigger for me. Interspersing the present with the past, I tell stories of my childhood and explore themes of religion, culture and politics. Here are some sample pages for your reading enjoyment.
“Duran Duran, Imelda Marcos and Me” page 6
