The Newspaper Widow — Cecilia Manguerra Brainard

A Different Kind of Mystery/Detective NovelShortlisted for the Inaugural Cirilo F. Bautista PrizeFinalist for the 37th National Book Award in the PhilippinesFilipina American author Cecilia Manguerra Brainard's novel, THE NEWSPAPER WIDOW, is a literary mystery set in the Philippines in 1909, shortly after the Spaniards lost to the Americans, and the Americans occupied the Philippines. The widow Ines and her friend the French seamstress Melisande solve the crime of the dead priest in the creek in order to free the son of Ines from jail. Inspired by her great-grandmother who was the first woman publisher in the Philippines,Brainard has written a character-driven novel that raises interesting and complicated questions about morality and justice while the protagonist searches for the priest's true killer. What begins as a murder mystery transforms into something greater as love, loyalty and friendship are tested and refined.Recipient of a California Arts Council Fellowship,a Brody Arts Fund, an Outstanding Individual Award from her birth city of Cebu Philippines, among others, Cecilia Brainard is the author and editor of over 20 books including When the Rainbow Goddess Wept, Magdalena, Selected Short Stories by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard, Growing Up Filipino I & II, and others..ReviewsFrom Library JournalWhen her husband dies in 1909, Ines Maceda inherits his newspaper, which is running out of audience and funds; she soon finds that she's good at both the money side and the reporting side. The paper gets a scoop about the discovery of the body of a priest who had been missing several months, but any pleasure in Ines's coup is dampened when her son Andres is imprisoned on suspicion of murdering the priest, whose past turns out to be shadier than imagined. What follows is part detective story and part historical fiction, set in the Philippines seven years after the conclusion of the Philippine-American War (1899-1902) that cemented U.S. occupation of the islands. The mystery elements are competently plotted, and the characters appealing, and there's a charming long-distance romance, with a hint of another yet to come. The book's signal virtue, though, is its bighearted look at Filipino culture and society in 1909. With 23 books to her name, Brainard (Magdalena) is hardly a novice, but most of her works have appeared out of small presses (including her own Philippine American Literary House), so she might be a new addition to library collections.VERDICT An old-fashioned novel isn't a bad thing when it's as well done as this one about people growing, loving, and rectifying past mistakes. ~ David Keymer, ClevelandThe Manila TimesThe Newspaper Widow may not have a flashy detective as its protagonist, but it is definitely crime fiction that's a cut above the usual whodunits. Thanks to Brainard's elegant prose and insights, it's also a social commentary that attempts to shine the light on the dark corners of organized religion. It does not demonize the Church, but it recognizes the fact that there are a few demons posing as angels within it. Brainard's masterpiece also reminds us that in live, things are not always resolved as neatly as we would like them to be. There's a clear demarcation between good and bad, but there are also a lot of gray areas that we have to learn to navigate. ~ Faye ValenciaForeword ReviewsWhile at first glance The Newspaper Widow seems like a standard historical mystery, that couldn't be farther from the truth. Cecilia Manguerra Brainard's novel is full and complex, overflowing with textured, fully realized characters who drive the story on every page ... Cecilia Manguerra Brainard displays masterful storytelling skill in The Newspaper Widow, a unique, memorable mystery. ~ Mya Alexice