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The House by the Beach
The House by the Beach is a historical novel that follows one family from Cuyo Island, Palawan, during the final years of Spanish rule to the aftermath of World War II. It offers a glimpse into the changing tides of Philippine history, told through generations of struggles and choices that shape an entire family’s fate.
At its center is Carlos, a charming but destructive man whose choices leave a quiet trail of broken lives. His wife, his mistress, and, most of all, his children are left to carry the burden of the consequences of his desires. Among them is Lupe, his daughter, who tries to pick up the pieces by writing her family’s story—to make sense of a man who shaped her life with as much absence as presence.
Blending fiction with truth, The House by the Beach is an intimate portrait of a family’s love, sacrifice, and enduring struggle to make sense of the past they carry.
At its center is Carlos, a charming but destructive man whose choices leave a quiet trail of broken lives. His wife, his mistress, and, most of all, his children are left to carry the burden of the consequences of his desires. Among them is Lupe, his daughter, who tries to pick up the pieces by writing her family’s story—to make sense of a man who shaped her life with as much absence as presence.
Blending fiction with truth, The House by the Beach is an intimate portrait of a family’s love, sacrifice, and enduring struggle to make sense of the past they carry.
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First published January 1, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 6, 2025
While at the core of the story is generations of family tangled by shared history, values, beliefs, and even trauma, what really shone through is how truly flawed the characters are in the story. It explores how people can hurt and grieve, yet love within the same breath. How trauma can also be passed down in different forms and ways.
The book also showed, in detail, the different cultural and traditional values as well as practices in the Philippines and how those transformed and which ones remained from the 1900s to the early 2000s.
I would hate to be born in the early 20th century because of the way women were treated like DIRT, absolute filth, across generations. While men were expected to be the providers and protectors of the family, women were presumed to be homemakers, babymakers, submissive, and forgiving. Not only that, they should also be loyal and virgin befor marriage because otherwise, you are dirty and unworthy.
Writing-wise, this reads almost like an academic textbook in it’s straightforwardness and precision, which surprised me that it didn’t put me in a slump. Even if the writing wasn’t flowery or strong, I was still compelled to finish the book which really surprised me.
While this book features quite a hefty some of characters, it was hard to like any of them. I ABSOLUTELY hated Carling, the central character caught in between generations and whose actions rippled and ruined lives. He’s a serial cheater whose excuse is that he has needs and a sexual drive that’s off the charts that he simply cannot keep his pants up.
It was also hard to empathize with Pilang, Carling’s wife, because I wasn’t in her head, I kept questioning her motives because why did she stay? What for? Revenge? Selflessness? Or out of duty for the sake of keeping the family image?
If you’re planning to pick this up, ready your pitchforks because you will be enraged.
The book also showed, in detail, the different cultural and traditional values as well as practices in the Philippines and how those transformed and which ones remained from the 1900s to the early 2000s.
I would hate to be born in the early 20th century because of the way women were treated like DIRT, absolute filth, across generations. While men were expected to be the providers and protectors of the family, women were presumed to be homemakers, babymakers, submissive, and forgiving. Not only that, they should also be loyal and virgin befor marriage because otherwise, you are dirty and unworthy.
Writing-wise, this reads almost like an academic textbook in it’s straightforwardness and precision, which surprised me that it didn’t put me in a slump. Even if the writing wasn’t flowery or strong, I was still compelled to finish the book which really surprised me.
While this book features quite a hefty some of characters, it was hard to like any of them. I ABSOLUTELY hated Carling, the central character caught in between generations and whose actions rippled and ruined lives. He’s a serial cheater whose excuse is that he has needs and a sexual drive that’s off the charts that he simply cannot keep his pants up.
It was also hard to empathize with Pilang, Carling’s wife, because I wasn’t in her head, I kept questioning her motives because why did she stay? What for? Revenge? Selflessness? Or out of duty for the sake of keeping the family image?
If you’re planning to pick this up, ready your pitchforks because you will be enraged.
July 6, 2025
A compelling family saga spanning decades
from 1800 to post World War Philippines. A
cautionary tale of the harm caused by
misogyny and enabling problematic behaviors. A single person's bad decisions will rip a family apart for generations to come.
Big thanks to Ateneo Press for the review copy 💙
from 1800 to post World War Philippines. A
cautionary tale of the harm caused by
misogyny and enabling problematic behaviors. A single person's bad decisions will rip a family apart for generations to come.
Big thanks to Ateneo Press for the review copy 💙
October 6, 2025
The House by the Beach tells the story of a family’s rise and fall through the generations, as seen through the eyes of a writer who reconstructs the lives and loves of her ancestors.
This story may seem incredible to some readers, but to me it felt deeply relatable, having had an uncle who was very much like Carling. We never understood why he felt the constant urge to scatter his offspring all over the country, especially after he fell from being a multimillionaire to subsisting off family handouts to support his many children. That thread of recklessness and consequence runs through Roque-Lutz’s novel with uncanny familiarity.
The novel also teems with verisimilitude in its portrayal of Filipino families proud of their Spanish or Chinese lineage. My own family used to lament that we have lost our mestizo and Chinese features. Roque-Lutz captures that quiet hierarchy of heritage with honesty.
Where the novel falters is in its historical grounding. The Moro raids, the American occupation, and other historical events feel more like set pieces than forces shaping the characters’ lives. Similarly, the ending seems underdeveloped; the “writer's" resolution — merely completing her book — feels anticlimactic and lacking in growth.
Still, I read The House by the Beach in one sitting. Roque-Lutz’s storytelling voice shows promise, and I look forward to seeing her refine it in the future.
This story may seem incredible to some readers, but to me it felt deeply relatable, having had an uncle who was very much like Carling. We never understood why he felt the constant urge to scatter his offspring all over the country, especially after he fell from being a multimillionaire to subsisting off family handouts to support his many children. That thread of recklessness and consequence runs through Roque-Lutz’s novel with uncanny familiarity.
The novel also teems with verisimilitude in its portrayal of Filipino families proud of their Spanish or Chinese lineage. My own family used to lament that we have lost our mestizo and Chinese features. Roque-Lutz captures that quiet hierarchy of heritage with honesty.
Where the novel falters is in its historical grounding. The Moro raids, the American occupation, and other historical events feel more like set pieces than forces shaping the characters’ lives. Similarly, the ending seems underdeveloped; the “writer's" resolution — merely completing her book — feels anticlimactic and lacking in growth.
Still, I read The House by the Beach in one sitting. Roque-Lutz’s storytelling voice shows promise, and I look forward to seeing her refine it in the future.
July 28, 2025
I've never yet come across a historical fiction set in Palawan in the Philippines. This book had a stressful plot because one of the characters has an uncontrollable libido that affects the rest of the characters in the story.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews