Twice Blessed

by Ninotchka Rosca

Born to an impoverished warlord clan, twins Hector and Katerina come to dominate the Philippines through their political and social maneuvering. By the author of State of War.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Magical Realism

270 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1992

About the author

Ninotchka Rosca is an outstanding contemporary writer, human rights activist and feminist. She is the author of six books: her short story collections include Bitter Country and Monsoon Country; her two novels are State of War and Twice Blessed which earned the 1993 American Book Award for excellence in literature; and her books of non-fiction are Endgame: The Fall of Marcos and Jose Maria Sison: At Home in the World - Portrait of a Revolutionary. Rosca's short stories have been included in several anthologies, among them, the 1986 Best 100 Short Stories in the U.S. compiled by Raymond Carver and the Missouri Review Anthology. She is a two-time recipient of the New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship and a frequent contributor to Ms. Magazine, The Nation, Village Voice, Q and other U.S. and European periodicals.

Rosca is an internationally-known activist for human rights. A political prisoner under the Marcos regime in the Philippines, she was forced into exile when threatened with a second arrest. Rosca has participated in numerous world forums and conferences for human rights. She serves on the board of the Survivors Committee, a network of former political prisoners and human rights activists. She has also been in leadership positions with Amnesty International and the PEN American Center.

Rosca was a founder and the first national chair of the GABRIELA Network (AF3IRM/GABnet), a Filipina-American women’s rights organization in the United States. She is the international spokesperson of GABRIELA Network's Purple Rose Campaign against the trafficking of women, with an emphasis on Filipinas. She is also a board member of The Sisterhood Is Global Institute and the initiating committee of Mariposa Alliance.

She was active in planning the UN Conference on Women which took place in Beijing, China. Rosca is particularly concerned with women's human rights focusing on the issues of sex tourism, trafficking, the mail-order bride industry, and violence against women.

For her achievements, Rosca has been designated as one of the 12 Asian American Women of Hope by the Bread and Roses Cultural Project. These women were chosen by scholars and community leaders for their courage, compassion and commitment in helping to shape society. They are considered role models for young people of color, who, in the words of Gloria Steinem, "have been denied the knowledge that greatness looks like them."

Source: Speak Out

Reviews

[Jonathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book about alternative facts.

There's a weird part where intergenerational incest is hinted at strongly but then just kind of left alone. Not sure what to make of that.

[M Margolis · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Twice Blessed" by Ninotchka Rosca is a kinda weird book, but in a good way, I guess? It's like this mix of comedy and tragedy set in our country. It's all about the Filipino culture and society (written at the turn of the administration after Marcos). The story revolves around Catarina, Hector, and Teresa, and boy, do they go through some crazy stuff. There's family drama, political corruption, and messed-up (I mean really messed up) relationships that make you question everything. Rosca's writing is descriptive, like she really paints a picture of the country and its messed-up leaders. I can't overuse "messed up" here, like, I felt kinda sad for us as a people, but at the same time, I was like, "Wow, this is messed up." It's not the easiest read, and sometimes I was a bit lost, but overall, it's a unique and eye-opening book that shows you the dark side of government and family ties. So, if you're up for something different, give it a shot!

[Shane Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel was written nearly three decades ago but it was able to reflect the political situations we have in the present, which I think, says a lot. The political satire and the story of the Basbas twins was really good. But I have to admit that the writing style personally threw me off a lot of times that I almost gave up on it if not for how the story eventually picked up fast halfway. Overall, it was still a good read.

[aya · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I saw a nation struggling to be born."
The Philippine politics is not far from this fiction. It's literally a mirror, a copy, and if you look at it in present context, with all the maneuvers unfolding and chess pieces falling into place, it becomes a retelling.

One candidate talks of fulfilling destiny, a chance to right (write) history again, to be twice blessed by this country's riches - once for his father and once again for the son, regardless of how empty the vessel of messiah he is.

[Leilani · Rating 3 out of 5]

I understand why this is not the author’s most famous work. The prose is too flowery that it makes it challenging to be 1) entertained and 2) to get its message across. I gave it a decent 3 out of 5 because it tackled the social cancers of the past and the moral corruption of the elite like so many other social novels, but other than repeating the same old belief that many politicians can be viscous and vile, what else did the story wish to tell?

[Aaaaaaaaaaa · Rating 5 out of 5]

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[Ysabella Dominique · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Manuel De Luna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great narrative and it touched on the different senses. Its lengthy single-sentence paragraphs were more than a visual candy. What it lacked, however, is where the whole thing was leading. The readers were always hooked but never brought to the destination at the right time. The narration led from one place to another with each chapter and the transition devices were effective.

The language use was effective in evoking details during the claim to presidency of His Excellency (to-be). This was their primary goal throughout the novel and Rosca was able to divert each moment and still retain the structural integrity of the story.