M. Evelina Galang Boeken

The narrative follows Isabel Manalo, who, after the loss of her unborn child, relocates from her small Midwestern suburb to Virginia Beach to teach Filipino American youth. Confronted by gang violence, cultural clashes, and personal relationships that challenge her identity, Isa strives to connect with the community despite their skepticism. As Hurricane Emilia approaches, she opens her home to a local girl gang, fostering healing and transformation. This award-winning novel explores themes of resilience, belonging, and the complexities of cultural identity.

Set against the backdrop of snowy Chicago, the story follows Angel as she escapes her life in Manila, carrying with her a legacy of protest and unresolved family issues. As she navigates her new environment, themes of cultural identity, personal growth, and the impact of past traumas unfold, highlighting her journey of self-discovery and the struggle to reconcile her heritage with her present.

Focusing on the harrowing experiences of sixteen surviving Filipino "comfort women," this book unveils the brutal reality faced by over 1,000 women kidnapped by the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. It highlights the broader tragedy of 400,000 women across Asia forced into sexual slavery. M. Evelina Galang's extensive research began in the 1990s, capturing the voices of 173 "lolas" who bravely came forward after years of silence to seek acknowledgment and justice from the Japanese government.

Seventeen stories nimbly traversing borderlines, mythic and real, in the lives of Filipino and Filipino American women and their ancestors. Like red gumamela--hibiscus flowers--that bloom spectacularly for a day before other blossoms take their place, the stories in When the Hibiscus Falls examine the triumphs, sorrows, and connections between generations of women. Whether in small villages in the Philippines of the past, the hurricane-beaten coast of present-day Florida, or traversing the physical and psychological distance between the two, these daughters, sisters, mothers, aunties, and lolas are in conversation with both their ancestors and their descendants--which is evidenced by characters recurring across stories and the appearance of familiar figures from M. Evelina Galang's other writing. When the Hibiscus Falls is a richly evocative collection that examines the complexity of family, community, and Filipino American identity.