Bodies of Water

by Yves Lamson

The Philippines are bodies of water, and so are we — Following the lives of four generations of women with an innate ability to speak to water, Bodies of Water straddles the border between reality and magic. Set against the lush and vibrant backdrop of rural Philippine life, familial myths collide with historical events and people. All the while, creatures of legend and folklore pulled from the rich tapestry that is the Philippine oral tradition lurk just beyond the safety of home in the dark, deep jungle. Vida, Valentina, Lailani and Karagatan know the secrets of the body; the water in each of us speaks to them. These women are healers, survivors and mothers. Yet more than simply tracing the lineage of these women whose personal history is weighty with magic and mysticism, Bodies of Water anchors these women to reality, placing them within historical events. World War II, the Japanese occupation of the Philippines, the reign of Marcos, and the subsequent diaspora of the Philippine people serve to ground — not drown these women, for they've learned to breathe underwater.

Yves Lamson's mythological revisionist fiction aims to preserve the intangible histories of the Philippine oral tradition. By filling in the plot holes present within the folklore due to the passage of time and generational retellings, he gives the stories the ability to hold more water. At times historical, but always infused with magic, Bodies of Water challenges you to make waves — there's an ocean inside you already.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction

240 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2018

Reviews

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bodies of Water followed four generations of women who are connected through the water that binds them. Lamson mixed Philippine myths, culture, historical events, and family dynamics - regardless of how dysfunctional; into a beautiful tale. I'm grateful for the family tree in the beginning because I found myself constantly referring back to it at the start of every chapter. As a Filipina-American, it was interesting to read how legends of our mythical characters such as the Aswang, Tikbalang, and the Diwata, continue to thrive as their existence intertwines with my own family history, as it did with the characters in the novel.

[Jan Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cyclical is a word that describes Bodies of Water. The novel is a testament to strength--the strength of stories, the strength of reflection, and the strength of women. Part of a titanic narrative in the face of disempowering circumstances, these grounded characters blur the line between fiction and lived experience. Fiction as a genre is a vehicle used to express an idea or truth through healthy suspensions of disbelief. But I had a hard time remembering that. Whether you dive in head-first or take tentative dips, Lamson's novel has the depth to keep you hooked and, just maybe, inspired.

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was beautifully written. I have never read a book that made me think, "wow this is so poetic and beautifully written." One of the best books I've read during the pandemic. Would definitely recommend it.

[Athalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

some pov’s were really good, others not so much. I really enjoyed reading Valentina’s perspective since her story was the most interesting for me. Kept me wanting to finish the book since her perspective was the last chapter.

[Meghan Long · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. My only complaint is I wish it was longer, but it was such a beatiful and at times, heart-wrenching story. I enjoyed the mix of historical context with mythological.

[VAL · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite quote: "Kintsugi / noun: There is history in broken things. It tells a story, gives itself value. And, oh, it plays good with the Filipino people. You all never throw anything out! Always keep! Never throw!"

[danni kaneshiro · Rating 5 out of 5]

🐚 🌊 𝚋𝚘𝚍𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚠𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚛 🌊 🐚

~ “ 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦 𝘢 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘪𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵. 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘧, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘱𝘶𝘴𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧𝘧 𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘴. 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘷𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴. 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘦𝘳, 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘤𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯, 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯’𝘵 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦. 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘵, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘪𝘵. “

I absolutely and wholeheartedly adore this book so much. I am Filipino-American rooted in the traditions and customs of the Filipino culture, proudly American, and 𝒻𝓊𝓃 𝒻𝒶𝒸𝓉 - also was born in Tokyo, Japan. Additionally, my husband is Okinawan-Japanese. This book is so meaningful to me in more ways than I can explain ~ I am also just a sucker for anything relating to WWII references and stories.

The blend of historical references, love, and cultural traditions, customs, and folklore was absolutely exceptional in this read, and I applaud @ysl.writes for this phenomenally beautiful book. It was such a heartfelt read with such beautiful sentiment 💙

[rei · Rating 4 out of 5]

one of the first books i've read on the philippines & wow, i'm so glad this was the one i picked. it was a little hard to get in the groove, but once you're in, the story just flows by.