Marivi Soliven

The Mango Bride (New American Library)

Two women, two cultures, and the fight to find a new life in America, despite the secrets of the past... Banished by her wealthy Filipino family in Manila, Amparo Guerrero travels to Oakland, California, to forge a new life. Although her mother labels her life in exile a diminished one, Amparo believes her struggles are a small price to pay for freedom. Like Amparo, Beverly Obejas--an impoverished Filipina waitress--forsakes Manila and comes to Oakland as a mail-order bride in search of a better life. Yet even in the land of plenty, Beverly fails to find the happiness and prosperity she envisioned. As Amparo works to build the immigrant's dream, she becomes entangled in the chaos of Beverly's immigrant nightmare. Their unexpected collision forces them both to make terrible choices and confront a life-changing secret, but through it all they hold fast to family, in all its enduring and surprising transformations. "Writing with sensitivity and humor, Marivi Soliven creates a brilliantly detailed picture of Philippine life at home and in America in this panoramic story of one Manila family."--Drusilla Campbell, author of When She Came Home Marivi Soliven has taught creative writing at the University of the Philippines, Diliman, the Ayala Museum and the University of California at San Diego. Short stories and essays from her fifteen books have appeared in anthologies and textbooks on creative writing. She was awarded a Hedgebrook writing residency in August 2012 for her work on The Mango Bride and its advocacy of women’s issues. Prior to publication, this novel won the Grand Prize for the Novel in English at the 2011 Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, the Philippine version of the Pulitzer Prize. You can reach her online at www.facebook.com/marivi-soliven, www.marivisoliven.com, and http://marivisoliven.blogspot.com. THIS EVENT WAS RECORDED LIVE AT SKYLIGHT BOOKS ON MAY 4, 2013. COPIES OF THE BOOK FROM THIS EVENT CAN BE PURCHASED HERE: http://www.skylightbooks.com/book/%5Bmodel%5D-239