Reading My First Filipino-Authored Novel

My first exposure to novels was when I was in elementary school. My grades were bad in Filipino so my mom bought me Tagalog romance novels. Yes, I was reading racy Tagalog novels when I was 10 years old. Later, I began reading short thin novels like Goosebumps and Hardy Boys and Harlequin Romance novels.

But my first real novel (the thick kind) was when I was 12, titled "Ghoul", if my memory serves me right. I remember buying it second hand from a store in Mindpro. I remember trying to read it several times but at that age, I had a hard time understanding even just the first chapter. It was my brother who helped me break that barrier. He explained the first chapter to me and after that, I found myself reading and understanding the novel on my own.

A few days ago, I decided to purchase a novel from Ryan Jimenez. He is one of the contributors in Voces del Alma.

This is the first time I am reading an English novel by a Filipino author.

Shadowed Sunlight follows the story of a young man who goes to Cebu to look for his father.

The book's synopsis leaves the reader with an impression that the whole premise was about finding the father however, upon reading the novel, it turns out that the protagonist finds his father even before the first half of the novel is reached.

The book then pivots unexpectedly to the protagonist exploring his sexuality and a father that does not accept it.

It does not claim to be a true to life story but my guess is that it is based on someone's life because it feels very real.

The book Shadowed Sunlight moves too quickly at times but I guess it can't be helped since it is less than 150 pages. It is a fast-paced, episodic novel. Instead of building toward a single traditional climax, the story revolves around shifting subplots: Jimeno’s search for his father, and his journey exploring new prospects in Cebu. Will he take a job at a fast-food chain, start a career in a call center, or choose to study at a university?

The book ends when life in Cebu can no longer be sustained and Jimeno had to leave. In the end, I believe he found the answers he was looking for when he decided to travel to Cebu.

At a time when everyone seems to be getting sloppy and even Facebook posts from big news networks in the country will contain spelling and grammar mistakes, I was relieved when I saw none present in this book.

The writing impressed me and is reminiscent of well-written novels from the 90s. Today, even books that make it to bestseller lists are often written as if you were reading a movie.

When I attended the Kriselda Freedom soft opening last year, I remember asking the translator of The Little Prince in Ilokano if any novels authored by Filipinos had been published yet, and I was surprised to learn that there were already quite a lot.

When I was a kid, an English novel written by a Filipino seemed out of reach. I remember asking myself why there weren't any. Today, timelines have shifted and after I started following some independent publishers on Facebook, I learned that several novels written by Filipino authors actually get published regularly.

It's just unfortunate that some of these novels never make it to physical bookstores and are only sold online. In a parallel timeline, these books are exported and being read not just by Filipinos.

Shadowed Sunlight by Ryan Jimenez can be purchased directly from the author on Facebook.