Jessica Hagedorn’s portrait of the Philippines in the late 1950s during the Marcos era is kaleidoscopic and fragmented but succeeds in bringing the time and place to life in a way that a more linear narrative might have failed to do. It comprises a series of vignettes or short stories rather than a sustained storyline, with a large cast of characters from the richest to the poorest and most humble. What binds them all together is their attempt to live their lives under a repressive, corrupt and often brutal regime. Some of the characters do indeed verge on caricature, but many feel very real and evoke the readers’ sympathies. Complex and occasionally confusing, the novel presupposes at least some knowledge of the country’s history and politics, without which it is difficult to navigate the twists and turns of the narrative. Overall I enjoyed it, but definitely feel it would reward a re-reading and some background research beforehand.