Woman in a Frame

by Raissa Rivera Falgui

In a darkened hall in a plain white box of a building is the painting of a young woman in an old-fashioned frame. It is discovered by Ning, the daughter of an artist, dreaming of becoming an artist. She knows nothing of the woman in the portrait, and yet those intense eyes draw her. It was as if Ning saw through those eyes and noticed the inner vision of the artist who left her mark on the canvas.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical

172 pages, Paperback

First published July 9, 2012

About the author

Raissa's works are as eclectic as she is. A UP Art Studies graduate with an MA in Creative Writing, she's been a museum worker, a teacher, a crafts columnist, a textbook writer, an exhibit reviewer, and a writer of health and parenting articles. She has three children and is married to an English teacher.

Her YA novel Woman in a Frame won the 2013 Filipino Readers' Choice Award for novel and was shortlisted for the 34th Philippine National Book Awards. Her most recent book, Virtual Centre, is a collection of her science fiction stories. She has other short stories in anthologies: Alternative Alamat, Bagets Anthology, Of Words and Water 2014, Friend Zones, and The Night Monkeys. She has written children's books too, including Hating Kapatid, one of the winners of the National Children's Book Award in 2014.

Reviews

[K.D. Absolutely · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am not sure what this novel is doing among the nominees for Best Novel in English in this year's National Book Development Board (NBDB)'s Awards. Consider its opponents: the edge-of-your-seat thriller mystery by Eliza Victoria,Dwellers (5 stars) and my recent read, the autobiography-disguising-as-novel, Snows of Yesteryear: A Family in War and a Sentimental Education by Elmer A. Ordonez, (5 stars). Both are well-written, mainstream and intended for discriminating mature readers.

Woman in a Frame by Raissa Rivera Falgui is a juvenile historical fiction. It was first made available as an e-book in 2011 when most young people haven't been exposed to movies like Jerrold Tarog's 2015 biopic Heneral Luna or they were still shying away from the Looking Back series of historian Ambeth Ocampo. They thought that Philippines history is boring as it should be confined to the four walls of classroom. So when they came across a book like this, they thought that it was excellent. Both Tarog and Ocampo, and to a lesser extent Falgui, are making Philippine history digestable to young people.

I said to a lesser extent because this book is not history. At most, it is a historical fiction culled from the author's research about the era. There is nothing new for me. In fact, I got bored reading this book especially the love triangle between the two young ladies in 1896 and the Spanish man who will not inherit the riches of his father so the rich girl has to dump him. It is a senseless romance because in the end no one gets the handsome man. The presence of the poor girl in this romantic story is unjustifiable, she knows that she has no chance to get the man so in the end she does the unthinkable but she ends up empty-handed too.

Writing-wise, it reminds me of the techniques that they teach us during writing workshops. I am not sure about the occasional insertion of Spanish words and phrases. Just to give a semblance of 1896? Why not the dialogues in Spanish and then translated in English? That way, it would have been more authentic to the milieu. And the too much emphasis on letras y figuras is tiring. I am sure that not all artists at the time are commissioned only to do letras y figuras. But why does it have to be repeated a hundred times?

Not really bad for a first time writer but not good enough, in my opinion, to be among last year's best local novels in English.

Or maybe I am too exposed to good books or maybe I am not really into YA anymore. I don't know.

[Xi Zuq · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book contributes to the literature that gives voice to women by weaving together the stories of two female painters from different eras. The story of Agueda Kahabagan, a revolutionary, was also included to lend us a glimpse of women’s active role during the 1896 Revolution.

I appreciate how this silent space in history is vividly recreated in the novel. When I was in high school, I used to think that Philippine life during this period revolved around Andres Bonifacio, Jose Rizal, and other men who fought against the Spaniards. This retelling goes beyond that narrow scope and allows young adult readers a first-hand view of life at the turn of the century in Laguna and Manila. For example, a brief description about the dynamics of marriage and relationships between different social classes during this period provides insight.

I also love how major historical events and issues were smoothly inserted in the narrative – Filipinos secretly forming alliances to fight against the Spaniards – but did not dwell too much on them.

I admire the writer for parenthesizing Marcela Simbulan’s story in 1896 with Sining Librado’s story in 2000. Starting and closing a novel with a contemporary narrative hooks the readers, and paves the way toward making sense of the old story. It’s literary magic at work! Readers will realize the connections and continuity of the two stories only after reaching the closing parenthetic narrative. Figuratively, the present-past-present flow of the novel is aptly described by the cover painting: “an old-fashioned girl in a modern frame”.

Besides history, I also learned a lot about painting, especially the different painting styles and techniques mentioned through the novel’s characters. Letras y figuras, in particular, was highlighted. It is an art form worth reviving.

Though packed with many topics (role of women, historical events, and painting) the novel never strays from being a young adult narrative. The teenage characters whether in 1896 or 2000 have authentic teen voices and actions. Particularly, a teen’s first encounter with falling in love is touched on, which may resonate with teen readers concerned about finding the right person to be with in life.

(www.xizuqsnook.blog.com)

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Original post at One More Page

I'm not a huge fan of historical novels, really. I tend to stay away from them because they're just not my type. Of course, there were some that I enjoyed, namely Jennifer Donnelly's books, The Guernsey Literary ...,and yeah, even Jose Rizal's Noli Me Tangere, which I really attribute to the fact that these books had personal significance for me (A Northern Light had things about words, Revolution because of Paris, Guernsey because of the recommendations, and Noli Me Tangere because it was a Filipino historical novel), but other than that, I had no reasons to pick them up. They're almost like classics to me -- hard to get into, and really not my cup of tea. But I can make exceptions, especially since I did say I want to read more Filipino fiction, so when the publisher offered a review copy of Raissa Rivera-Falgui's Woman in a Frame to me, I decided to give it a try.

Woman in a Frameintroduces Ning, short for Sining, who is a daughter of an artist and dreams of becoming an artist herself. Thanks to her deceased father's connections, she was able to attend a summer art program where she stumbles upon a very curious painting of a woman who feels very familiar to her. Curious, Ning searches for the artist and the story behind the painting. In 1896, Marcela, a young artist from the Simbulan artist family joins her father to paint the town's darling, Raquel Riola. Raquel is set to marry Julio Benitez, a Spanish peninsular from Europe. Marcela develops a friendship with Raquel, but also falls in love with Julio. She is faced with choosing between her family, new friend and her love, the social differences between her and Julio and a possible involvement in a brewing revolution against the government.

I liked Woman in a Frame. I wasn't expecting it especially since I wasn't really captured in the first chapter, but as I read on, I fell in love with Marcela and the Simbulan family and their life in 1896. I can imagine the afternoons where Marcela and her father would be at the Riola mansion to do their job, and how a Filipina and a half-Spanish girl would walk in the afternoons and chatter over things despite their differences. I'm not an artsy person, but I can vividly imagine the kind of art that the Simbulan family makes, and how it could become their living. I liked Marcela as a character, and her loyalty to her family and her friendship, and how she dealt with her affection for Julio. It was quite refreshing -- she's far from timid and shy Maria Clara, but more of a Sinang from Noli Me Tangere, especially with what she did in the end.

I think it was the freshness of Noli in my mind that helped me visualize the setting and in the novel, so it almost felt I was just focusing on another character in Noli when I was reading Woman in a Frame . A spin-off, if you may. There were the friars and the brewing revolution, but it didn't take over the story and turn Marcela into a young Katipunera as I almost expected it to be. I'm glad it didn't turn out that way, because I didn't know if I'd like that turn! I liked the bittersweet feeling of the first love, and how it all unfolded in the end. The synopsis had that Filipino soap opera feel when you think about it, but it had a pretty interesting turn of events that wasn't dramatic at all.

My only wish is that there was more Ning in the story! The story reminded me a lot of the dual narrative in Revolution but it lacked what that novel had -- the dual narrative. I enjoyed the Marcela story, but I wished that we got to see Ning more since this was also her story. Okay, fine, it was more of Marcela's story, but I just really wished we had more of present time and Ning, and not just some sort of info dump at the end tying up the connections between her and Marcela.

I still liked Woman in a Frame despite that little nitpick, though! I think historical fiction fans will like it, and it's a quick enough read and get lost in in a day. It also gives readers a good insight on Filipino artists and how regular people were a part of the revolution. And...yeah, the romance factor is pretty satisfying, too. :) Thanks to the publisher for the review copy! :)

[Monique · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published as part of a Shorts post HERE.

My co-judges and I personally deliberated on the merits of this book and were unanimous in our choice (among other things). I was tasked to write a short citation for it, to be read during the awarding ceremony during the ReaderCon, and this is what I had to say:

Raissa Rivera Falgui's Woman In A Frame is a literary masterpiece. It takes all of the best elements of Filipino culture, history, and tradition and fuses them into a cohesive whole, consistently referring to familiar things, places, and events that are distinctly Filipino. It celebrates the equality of the sexes, magnifies the effects of centuries-long foreign conquest in present-day society, and honors the importance of family. Like an artist's magnum opus, Woman In A Frame is a beautiful work of art, a gem in Filipino literature.

The foregoing paragraph pretty much sums up what I (and my co-judges - hi, Aaron! hi, Ayban!) thought about this book, so I will stop at that. Besides, the award already speaks for itself, right?

[Andre Habulan · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Woman in a Frame” is an interesting read, one that tells of a young, aspiring artist, Sining “Ning” Librado, who finds a painting that she is drawn to. Driven by curiosity, she sets out to find out more about this painting, and this is where our main story begins. To tell you a bit about this main story,

It is set in 1896, and talks about a family of artists, the Simbulans. Marcela, one of the daughters in this family, is tasked to help her father with the portrait of a wealthy landowner’s daughter, Raquel Riola. Along the way, Marcela and Raquel form a friendship. However, a problem arises when it is revealed that while Julio Benitez, the grandson of some family friends of the Riolas, is set to marry Raquel, Marcela has developed feelings for him. Also, the Katipunan uprising is beginning, and the brothers of Marcela are fighting for them. Knowing this, Amado, her father, entrusts Marcela with a commission: Deliver a copy of a painting of Raquel (the painting Ning was drawn to) to Julio, currently in Manila, to transport when he and Raquel travel to Spain. This painting is thrown into an estero though, once Raquel learns that Marcela painted it. One of Marcela’s brothers, Pedro, and her, set out to find it, but to no avail. Once they return to their home, the Katipunan follows through with their plan, and Marcela goes on with her life, hopeful that everything will be peaceful again.

In the end, we move back to Ning’s story, who visits the hometown of the Simbulans, only to find out that most of their paintings before WW2 were damaged. Yet, the remaining ones are placed in an exhibit that characterizes her family, and finally, Sining understands through the past that whatever struggles she has encountered in making good art were nothing conpared to her ancestors.

Okay, now that we’re finally done, on to some compliments.
First, the story was outlined well and had a detailed plot.
Second, while the story is fictional, it highlights the life of Filipinos and Spaniards in the times of colonization.
But, there is a flaw which takes away one star from a possible 5 star rating.
This is how I would like to see more character development, especially on Ning’s part, and even more focus on the historical aspect of the story instead of relationships with people and other things. For example, the author could have explained more about the art styles of the past (instead of limiting it to talking about, for example, letras y figuras) and showed Ning’s personality a bit.
So, this is it for my review. All in all, while Woman in a Frame is a book with a few cut-off storylines and unanswered questions, I can say it is a pretty good book, and I would recommend it to Filipinos, or anyone in general, who enjoys art and history books.

[Roxanne Walls · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ning Librado struggles to find the unknown artist of an old portrait that seems to connect to her past, all while she struggles to find her own style in her art. The story splits off from Ning's timeline for quite a bit to tell the story of Marcela Simbulan, the painter of the portrait, and her connection to the lady in the frame.

I discovered this book in an article titled "6 Filipino YA Books Everyone Should Read", and I was immediately sold by the line "Fans of historical fiction and romance would enjoy reading about a love triangle set in 1896."

This book was a fairly interesting read. I liked the idea of introducing Marcela's story in the middle. To me, it felt like this was the story Ning was searching for, but would never get. That being said, I felt that there was something about the characters of Ning and Jed that seemed off. In Ning and Jed's case, I expected more of their character to show through their actions, rather than being said outright in the writing (aka too much tell, not enough show). As for Marcela's character, I thought she was the most fleshed out of all of them, but that could be attributed to the fact that her story occupied most of the book.

Sadly, the decision to keep Marcela's story in the middle compromised Ning's story. The ending seemed rushed and undeserved, somehow? Like Ning did not go through a long-enough journey or challenge to merit her change in outlook at the end. Even if this is a YA book, a little more character complexity is appreciated.

On the other hand, the book subtly (and sometimes not-so-subtly) delves into socially-relevant topics like sexism, historical racism, revolution, and the art industry. As a 20-year-old college student, I immediately picked up on the discourse laid out by the author, and I was impressed. It's hard to keep a book interesting and have such messages present without coming off as preach-y, especially if it's a book for younger readers. Ma'am Falgui is able to keep that delicate balance, and I think that was the best part of the book, theme-wise.

Despite its shortcomings, I think that Woman in a Frame is an enjoyable enough read. If you know any kid with an affinity for art who wants a quick read while the paint dries, this book will probably be for them.

[Bomalabs · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I loved about this book is that it has a lot of layers: You have art, you have racism (well, Spanish vs Filipino and Chinese Racism), History, and Love in it - but it's not something presented in your face. It was a joy to read and a part of me was really rooting for Marcela. I really liked her character - how she can easily makes friends with everybody, and how different she thinks from the women in her time. I also appreciate the fact that it was able to make history come alive - something intangible like life in 19th-century Central Luzon with your Peninsulares/Insurales, Indio and Itsik, Katipunan, polos y servicios, lustful frayles, often just presented lifelessly in textbooks is presented in this solid narrative. Reading it makes this concept tangible, like it's something that could have actually happened. Galeng :)

[Ayban Gabriyel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book deserves the Readers Choice Award for the Novel in English Category this year.

I wish to see this novel in print.

[Ailil · Rating 2 out of 5]

Classic case of a book with a wonderful premise that was ruined by mediocre writing.

[Gill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a difficult book for me to write about, as it is written for a teenage audience in the Philippines. I've known Raissa online since before she began writing, and she sent me this volume, because I was unable to buy it in the UK. I read it first in 2017, revisiting it this month.
Raissa writes in English, but because of the subject (art) she is dealing with and the audience she is writing for, the text contains quite a number of Spanish words & phrases, and a few Tagalog ones too. There is a glossary at the back of the book to explain these terms. I only read it at the end, because it interrupts the flow of the story if one has to do too much flicking back and forwards whilst reading, but most of the meanings I had understood from the context.
The story begins in 2000, just 14 years before Woman in a frame was published, but less than a fifth of the book is set then, with the large filling of the 'date' sandwich being set in 1896, when the painting Ning & her friend Jed discover waiting to be hung in the Museum where they are taking art classes, was created. There is a fair amount of history of the uprising against the Spaniards in the story too, which was interesting.
Raissa paints a portrait of an earlier time, and links it with the aspirations of a modern girl who still has to fight for equal opportunity with males and those who are wealthier.

[Lik C · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a good historical fiction novel for young adults, especially for the most part set in the familiar Spanish colonization era in Philippine history, including the events and culture of that time. I liked the use of learning in art in this novel both in history and the present time, and women empowerment – as the two main women characters were artists and how they defy the stereotypes to women of their time.

I thought the chapters would be like an alternating change of perspective between the past and the present. I was enjoying the present Ning’s learning of art, then the story shifts to the mystery of the painting, and does not go back to the present until the end of the novel. I also felt that sometimes these women get envious of their surroundings (the past Marcela of her rich friend Raquel, and the present Ning of her rich classmates). Perhaps I’m not much supportive of this trait. I was also looking for a better resolution for Ning’s part of the novel; I looked for what she had learned from all of that, aside from her lineage.

But I’d always enjoy a novel with history and art.

[Carla Guzman · Rating 1 out of 5]

Picked up a copy of this at MIBF 2019 because who doesn't love historical YA with a past/present thing?

And I want to say that this book *could* have been interesting, but was unfortunately bogged down by bad editing and equally bad writing.

The colonial period of the Philippines has a lot of realities that we shouldn't shy away from, but the author wrote these realities in a way that had no thought or care for making her reader understand why they were unjust, why they were there. They were just things that readers had to accept, like polo y servicios being "inconvenient," a character who blatantly calls the Chinese "disgusting, dirty people" and lines like "there wouldn't be so many mestizos around. They couldn't all have been a result of rape by priests and soldiers."

It just felt careless, and only made the characters seem callous, cruel and people I didn't want to root for. These are actual lines and words from the book. I wouldn't recommend it for many other issues, but this is probably the biggest for me.

[Michelle Ciriacruz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one is both delighting and frustrating to read. I understand that it is meant for younger readers (middle grade, I think?), and will only hint at themes, scenes, and politics that I like to see explored as emotionally charged scenes in my historical dramas. I wish that this has an adult version because I like the story and characters. It has an epic-historical potential, where characters travel from their small town to discover the world. I would have liked to get to know some of the characters more. I feel like one character, in particular, was just dropped near the end of the book. I'm also invested in the love story and felt frustrated that its resolution happened off-cam (was just narrated, what is the equivalent of off-cam in books?). It also would have been nice to see more of the modern-day storyline. If the author does decide to write a longer version, I imagine that this book might contain images of the paintings described in the story--won't that be awesome?

To sum up, I enjoyed this book but I wanted more (which is still a positive review) :P.

[Nicasio Reed · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book. I appreciated a lot about the way it evoked its setting, and that it depicted families of artists, which isn't something I remember seeing before, in YA or otherwise. Unfortunately, there were just too many issues that kept me from really enjoying it. The prose was oddly formal, the characters all a bit caricatured, the sexual politics of the book were baffling to me, and the anti-imperial, revolutionary aspects of its politics felt weirdly tacked on as an afterthought, despite that those events figure so heavily into the life stories of the two main characters.

[Cleo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up thinking it would be a forbidden romance with mutual pining between the two characters but was slight disappointed that it wasn't lol. Nonetheless, it's a great historical book for young Filipino readers. The concept of "letras y figuras" piqued my interest and had me searching for more information about this art form. The book overall had a great premise but I was let down by Falgui's writing which was pretty mediocre even for a middle grade book.

[Ynna Ramos · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is definitely a must-read! I even bought a copy of my own! I love how the timeline shifts between chapters and the linkage between the past and the present is coherent and cohesive. It did not leave any stone unturned. I stumbled upon this book during a Book Quiz Bee and it was one of the required books to study and read. I fell in love with it at once!

[Katelyn A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

i don't have a recollection of the book as this was something i was required to digest for school, but from what i remember, the storyline was very confusing to follow and i couldn't tell who from what in for a while until i clicked. appropriate for the target audience, but otherwise very boring if you dont enjoy historical novels

[Juni · Rating 2 out of 5]

As someone who loves historical fiction, i am surprised that I didn't like the book. I try to give the book a chance, maybe in the middle part of it would be exciting to read but although out the book, it doesn't appear to be appealing to me. Sadly, the book is boring that doesn't have any redeeming part.

[Jkpotteryu · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really good book. It gave a gorgeous insight on the importance of art, and the messages and emotions behind those paintings. The writing style was simple, giving the the whole story a fairy tale like feel. This was an amazing piece of Filipino literature.

[Aimee Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 it wasn't perfect but I loved the premise of the story and the way it used art as it's main theme to tell the story

[Coco · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finally a beautiful book written by a Filipino author about Filipina artists.

[emil · Rating 3 out of 5]

i liked it! but i wish it was more of a dual narrative than it was? i wanted more alternate between Sining and Marcela yun lng

[Misai Castaneda · Rating 3 out of 5]

It left me hanging and I feel like it could have explored more on the story of Ning. It's like it was abruptly ended.

[nikki · Rating 2 out of 5]

ok I hope I never see you again

[A · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://yugtobookclub.substack.com/p/...

I enjoyed walking around the old eskenita and Manila.
Wearing my saya.

[ignoranj]

[2025/11/15 8:21 p. m.] wait update ko 'to kapag nakauwi na ko, nasa jeep pa ko from tuktukan e.

[Adobo · Rating 5 out of 5]

[No spoilers]

In the context of being a Filipino YA book, the book is definitely recommendable. As a lover of any kind of history and romance and any realistically portrayed female character, I was hooked. The fact that this is a historical Philippine novel, a kind which is rarely found in book shelves today, is the main reason why I read this book.

And one of the reasons you should too.

Woman In A Frame is a rare gem in the handful of Philippine YA novels today (not counting Pop Fiction books, which I think don't bring anything new to the country's literary scene), and is one of the must-reads. I came to discover this novel upon seeing it on an article called '6 Filipino YA books everyone should read'. The promise of history immediately pinpointed me to this book. This was before the sudden success of Heneral Luna and the surge of interest in our country's history - a pleasant development, in my opinion. This book is in league with the film in terms of giving a voice and imagery to names only read monotonously in elementary school and high school classrooms - not given the honors and remembrance these names deserve. Though Marcela and the rest of the characters are fictional, they could very well be people who lived a century before us. I applaud this book for bringing a sense of relevance to our overlooked history.

As for the actual critique, I have a few little comments - definitely not enough to change my mind that this is a great book, and I recommend it very much.

The social dynamics and complicted rules of marriage in 1890s Philippines brings to mind Jane Austen, and I can honestly say I have been waiting so long for a Philippine period novel much like this. The importance of family, female empowerment, and love for one's country are highlighted.

I would like to point out that I liked how the upper class and lower class weren't painted as black and white (and this point is actually touched on in the book), and how Raquel wasn't a one-dimensional spoiled princess, the author even going as far as adding a few sections of the book in her perspective, which is welcome despite this being Ning's and Marcela's story.

My only problems are Ning's framing of Marcela's story. It is made out to be a huge part of the plot, when the modern setting is merely a parentheses for the historical setting. I understand that this may be an attempt to engage the reader and give the reader a little something to relate to, if they're not so big on history, but I liked Marcela's story as a stand-alone even still. The modern characters were not given a chance to develop as much as I would like, and so were a bit forgettable.

Overall, you should definitely read this book if you're Filipino. It's a short read (I read it in one 3-hour bus ride) jam-packed with slices of history and art tidbits. I will definitely watch out for this author in the future (or should I say the past :) ).

[Chessy Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found the Woman in a Frame very interesting. To be honest, I was more interested in the part set in the past. I like historical fiction, and also, that’s the part where most of stuff is going on. There are elements of love, family, and mystery. In the later chapters, there is more action, and there are more shocking revelations in nearly every chapter. And everything centers around art. That’s the other thing I like about this book; I learned a lot about art, which is something that interests me. I even tried making my own letras y figuras after reading the book.
Though some parts of the story were a bit hard to follow, I found the intriguing story of two young female artists from different times a work of art.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like how the story, from its very title, revolves around women — from Sining and how she dreams of being an artist despite it seeming to be a pipe dream for a girl, to her mother being able to raise her alone whilst being estranged to her own family, and to her great grandmother Marcela who dared to be an artist in her own right. It seems that the fight for women to have respectable reputation and position in society equal to men's is a recurring and timeless struggle. What women would die for— opportunities to display their talent and blind faith— are almost always willingly given to men.

Aren't we all women in frames? So limited and confined, expected only to be decorative and ornamental, to be only subjects of art and not the artists, to pose in front of the easel and not behind it. To recognize this perpetual fight is to understand that this has been prolonged enough.

Although this is the angle I chose to emphasize, it is worth acknowledging that the novel was able to expose patriarchy as well as the evident discrimination against people of color and the lower-middle class, not only in the present but also in the time before them.

A fitting read for the conclusion of women's month.