I arrived in Chicago at 3 years old and have felt the stigma of prejudice and misunderstanding of who and what Filipino culture is about, as I slowly became who I am now. In the 70s and 80s, I felt strange emotions when I began to journey back and forth to the Philippines. I was one of the first wave of balikbayan youth to feel I had sojourned out of the mainland back to the culture in my soul, helpless in integerating who I am, because truly I have come to accept I am both. With a very strong Ilocano-Tagalog flavor in our home life in the early 70s such was my identity - both Filipina and American. My mama has few yet vivid memories of Japanese invasion in the North Ilocano region as a child, yet I myself held some confused and strong emotions hearing about the EDSA Revolution in the 80s...but did not know why, when I lived in Chicago. My point in all this? Reading the work of Cecilia Manguerra Brainard has helped me understand who I am as a Filipina and as an American. Brainard does not sound "revolutionary" and emotional like most Filipino writers think they must express. There is a softness, soothing and tenderness to the touch of her pen. No one has yet been able to penetrate the Chicago area with this understanding. Continue Ma'am Brainard, in your special gift and example. May God honor the rest of the chapters of your life experience. ~~~by Ms. Janis Ver Licuanan

I loved these essays by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard. They are straightforward, elegantly-written, and pithy. The essays reveal much of the author's experiences as an immigrant in the United States. A wonderful book by a great writer!

I've read all of Cecilia Manguerra Brainard's books, and this is another winner. This, her second short story collection, explores her Philippine as well as Philippine American experiences. Like her other writings, these stories are full of magic! I recommend them to you.

CONTEMPORARY FICTION BY FILIPINOS IN AMERICA is one of the finest collections of fiction by Philippine American writers. The book showcases topnotch writers such as Linda Ty-Casper, N.V.M. Gonzalez, Cecilia Manguerra Brainard, Greg Sarris, Marianne Villanueva, Vince Gotera, Eileen Tabios, John Silva, and many others. This is a wonderful book! I highly recommend this book to you.

I use this collection of fiction in my class and I am my students enjoy them a lot. I highly recommend this book as well as CONTEMPORARY FICTION BY FILIPINOS, to you. The stories in both anthologies showcase the best fiction by Filipinos in America.

This book later became "When the Rainbow Goddess Wept". It is similar to Amy Tan's books; however, it was published earlier and is from the Filipino point of view. This enjoyable book is a fictionalized account of a young Filipina (Yvonne) telling of her experiences just before and during the trying times of the Japanese occupation of the Philippines. By writing in the past from the mind of a child, the author creates a floating, dream-like clarity that captures something of the uniqueness and charm of Filipino culture and spirit.

Cecilia Manguerra Brainard,writer of other beloved NF reads like When the Rainbow Goddess Wept, brings us another delightful book Magdalena. In her new novel, the author takes us back to a romantic era before our time in the Philippines, painting a rich portrait of one family's dramatic legacy. Magdalena flows like classic literature, following the style of many romantic women authors such as Charlotte Bronte and Luisa May Alcott, and even more contemporary writers such as Isabelle Allende and Amy Tan.

Although it is a quick read, the relationships between characters are so dramatic and so intertwined that it almost leaves you wanting to learn more! Brainard's style of storytelling welcomes her readers into a very familiar and intimate circle of storytelling-stirring memories of being wrapped around your lola's knee, as she tells you stories about the greatness of your family legacy and about life way back when.

I loved Brainard's When the Rainbow Goddess Wept, so I got a copy of Magdalena. I like this book too, even though the style is different. This one tells the love story of three generations of women, and how their choices have affected succeeding generations. It seems like an easy read but the story is actually complex; it reminds me of Faulkner. When you read it, it's like peeling layers open, as the truth unfolds. Oh yes, the book is not only about love, but involves family secrets. It's a fascinating read and highly recommend it.

Expertly written by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard (USC Adjunct Professor and teacher at the UCLA-Extension's Writers Program), Magdalena is set in the chaotic backdrop of twentieth century East Asia. A romantic, powerful tale of three generations of Filipino women, written with a close eye on the terrors of war and the Japanese invasion of the Philippines during World War II, Magdalena is an intense, involving, highly recommended saga that documents author Cecilia Manguerra Brainard as a gifted author with a mastery of story telling that will keep the reader's total attention and engagement from first page to last!

The imagery was startling and real. It recalled stories that my father told me about the Japanese invasion of the Philippines, which he witnessed as a boy about the same age as the protagonist. Manguerra-Brainard weaved the folk tales of the Philippines into her story expertly. Well done.

Cecilia Manguerra Brainard is a master story teller, who paints a vivid picture of the struggles of the Filipino people during the Japanese invasion of their country in 1941. Her deep understanding of the culture enables her to weave myth with every day life, creating a unique and haunting tale. Very well done.

I just wanted to thank Cecilia Brainard for writing this book and other books as well. I didn't know much about World War II in the Philippines, and this book taught me a lot about what the Filipino people went through. Cecilia Brainard, a very talented writer, has written an exceptionally fine novel in When the Rainbow Goddess Wept. Thank you, Cecilia.