In the country by Mia Alvar
Published: June 16th 2015 by Knopf
Genre: Short stories
Pages: 347

When I set out to read Filipino literature this book is what I didn’t know I was hoping for. The book consists of 9 short stories; The Kontrabida, The miracle worker, Legends of the white lady, Shadow families, The virgin of Monte Ramon, Esmeralda, Old girl, A contract overseas and In the country.

Naturally, I found some of the stories more interesting than others, but man, Alvar is a storyteller! I loved reading and recognizing a culture, a feeling, a home. So perfectly described that I could feel the humidity. Some of the stories take place in The Philippines in different eras, some are in Bahrain where the author grew up. Both are very interesting, having seen the expat life close up, it was interesting to se a different take on it and feel how alike we often are even when we think we are different. If you want to read philippine literature that captures the essence of filipino culture, then this is it! I have nothing more to say about it, it’s just that good, and I loved it.

I am always surprised by the preferences on book covers! 59% of you preferred the one with the face and 41% of you preferred the one with the view. I’m in the minority on this one too! But it’s very interesting to see your preferences! Thanks for voting!