The Umbrella Country
by Bino A. Realuyo
List Price: $12.95
Pages: 320
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 0345428889
Publisher: Ballantine
In the tempestuous landscape of the Philippines, a boy comes of age in
the shadow of family secrets
"Certain things are better
kept than said...But certain things you have to find out now..."
On the tumultuous streets
of Manila, where the earth is as brown as tamarind and the pungent smells
of vinegar and mashed peppers fill the air, where seasons shift between
scorching sun and torrential rain, eleven-year-old Gringo strives to make
sense of his family and a world that is growing increasingly harsher before
his young eyes.
There is Gringo's older brother,
Pipo, wise beyond his years, a flamboyant, defiant youth and the three-time
winner of the sequined Miss Unibers contest; Daddy Groovie, whiling away
his days with other hang-around men, out of work and wilting like a guava
leaf, clinging to the hope of someday joining his sister in Nuyork; Gringo's
mother, Estrella, moving through their ramshackle home, holding her emotions
tight as a fist, which she often clenches in anger after curfew covers
the neighborhood in a burst of dark; and Ninang Rola, wise godmother of
words, who confides in Gringo a shocking secret from the past--and sets
the stage for the profound events to come, in which no one will remain
untouched by the jagged pieces of a shattered dream.
As Gringo learns; shame is
passed down through generations, but so is the life-changing power of
blood ties and enduring love.
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1. Why do you think
the author titled the novel The Umbrella Country? What metaphors were
used in the novel for the author to decide on this title?
2. Gringo's family
lived during Martial Law, one of the most repressive eras in Philippine
history. How do you think the political situation of the times affected
the characters' view of the world around them?
3. The novel offers
an intense look at family life in the Philippines prior to immigration
to the United States. Are these desires and dreams typical of future immigrants?
Should countries in the "first world" keep their borders open to less
developed countries? How are attitudes toward immigration changing in
the United States and the world?
4. The novel begins
with the line, "It was the season of sun." Many chapters begin and end
with images of the changing weather. How was climate used to describe
situations and sentiments of the characters?
5. What anxieties would
Gringo and Pipo experience growing up without their mother? More and more,
we are seeing single parent households; how is society dealing with these
changing family structures? How do you think our definitions of "family"
will change in the coming century?
6. Ninang Rola mentioned
the United States when she was telling Gringo about the women's liberation
in the Philippines. How do you think the women's movement in the United
States affects the movements in other countries? How do you feel about
social movements in other countries emulating American ones?
7. Sexuality and identity
are important themes of the book. How did these differ between the male
and female characters of the novel?
8. The novel deals extensively
with the adverse effect of homophobia on its young characters. How do
you think attitudes about gays and lesbians have changed over the years?
How does religion affect these attitudes?
9. Names tell much about
a family's history. How did the author use names to reflect the characters,
histories, and attitudes of the people? Share the origins of your family
name and stories behind it.
10. One of the most
important passages in the novel is what Ninang Rola has said a few times,
"Certain things are better kept than said." Do you agree with this statement?
What are the ironies built around this statement in the novel?
11. In the chapter "Querida
Means 'Dear,' " the author gives a look at the life of "other women" in
the Philippines. How is this different in your country?
12. How would you compare
and contrast the way Gringo and Pipo dealt with the world around them?
Are there patterns that foretell the kind of future the brothers will
have?
13. The family in the
novel eventually immigrated to the United States. How is your idea of
immigrants affected by reading this novel? How is this novel different
from other immigrant stories you have read?
14. Explore the character
of Boy Manicure. What do you think is his most significant contribution
to the novel? Would the novel be any different without him?
15. Do you think Ninang
Rola made the right decision when she encouraged Germano to find and marry
Estrella? Ninang Rola compares the situation to a "rock on a ring, never
to be separated again." What are the positive and negative attributes
to her statement?
16. In one of the most
memorable episodes in the novel, Pipo pushed Gringo away, saying "Run,
Gringo, run," only to get himself hit by Daddy Groovie. What does this
tell us about the character of Pipo, his inner strengths and weaknesses?
17. If you were to write
a sequel to the novel, how would it begin?
18. Estrella is perhaps
the most complex character in the novel. If you were Estrella, would you
have stayed behind?
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"Bino A. Realuyo proves that the telling of a novelist's heart and country is contained in the smallest movement of moments. Word upon lyrical word, his novel is beauty that dwells like a beloved's lingering ache, a beloved's familiar voice."—Lois-Ann Yamanaka author of Blu's Hanging
"A lyrical first novel limns a troubled coming-of-age in 1970s Manila, where deviance and difference are punished by silence or brutality...An evocative and subtly different take on the loss of innocence. A promising debut."—Kirkus Reviews
"Heartbreaking . . . Poet Realuyo assembles a powerful array of characters for this coming of age novel."—Publishers Weekly
"A wrenching first novel filled with the sights, sounds and smells of Manila under martial law."—Booklist
