Assembling Alice

by Mookie Katigbak-Lacuesta

Before and after the Battle of Manila, a Japanese spy and an American soldier have one thing in common: they both fall in love with Alice Feria, a pianist who would later become one of the first women journalists in the Philippines. Both would prove to be instrumental to her survival during the Japanese occupation and the liberation of Manila. Assembling Alice is a portrait of a woman as much as it is a portrait of the times she lived in. She came of age during the commonwealth period, survived both the occupation and the war, and did not write of her experiences as much as she spoke of them to those in her inner circle. Her experiences were sublimated into editorials she wrote for a small magazine called The Filipino Home Companion where she wrote of nation-building and what it meant or should mean to be a Filipino after the second world war. Inside these pages are the stories she told, and have been told about her.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Novels

238 pages, Paperback

Published November 16, 2021

About the author

Mookie Katigbak-Lacuesta hails from Manila and holds an MFA from the New School University in NYC. Her first book of poetry, The Proxy Eros, was published in 2008 by Anvil Publishing Inc., the foremost publishing house in the Philippines. Her work has been published in The New York Quarterly and will appear in the forthcoming issue of Defunct, an online literary magazine. She has also received Palanca and Philippines Free Press awards, the top literary honors in the Philippines.

Reviews

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I had to describe this book in just one word, it would be elegant. As elegant as the titular Alice. Mookie Katigbak-Lacuesta's trademark graceful and sophisticated way of writing is evident in every word and phrase. Told in vignettes set throughout American-occupied Philippines and WW2-era Manila, Assembling Alice paints a picture of the author's grandmother: a woman to whom life had dealt an awful blow, and who yet never lost sight of who she was. She was an accomplished life-long student who was widely-read and played the piano beautifully, a prolific writer, a pillar of feminine strength, a visionary who believed in the Filipino woman's rights and who deeply loved her country.

In her writings, Alice Feria often posits the question—who is the Filipino? After reading this loving tribute to her memory, I'd like to answer that Alice Feria herself, along with the myriad of women like her, are the Filipino.

[Shyamala · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't know this was a biographical work when I started reading the book. The first few chapters felt a little slow and then the pace grew on me. The story of Alice Feria is told from a very interesting perspective by her grand daughter who she never got to meet - from the perspectives of people who knew Alice, who had an interesting birth and childhood upbringing, youth when she was sought after and endured one of the worst possible losses while surviving foreign occupations in the Philippines.

Once I understood it was a true story, I appreciated the writing style and the apparent 'gaps' in the narration. The author has tried to stay as true as possible to her grandmother's life through her friends and family and has truly endeavoured to 'assemble' Alice through the bits and pieces gathered from her sources.

[Karen Macasiray · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm giving this book a score of 4.5 / 5.

The beginning was very catchy, enough to get the reader's attention. Halfway through, the text gets somewhat confusing. I found some parts of the narrative too dramatic for my taste.

The title Assembling Alice suits the story well.

Fast read.

A masterpiece.

I'm glad i've finally landed on a book with a WW2 setting in the Philippines.

[Justine Camacho-Tajonera · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a beautiful retelling of a courageous woman's life, full of little details that capture the era and the staunch nationalism and feminism of the main character.

I relate to it very much because I lost my mother at a very young age and I have been playing the game of "Assembling Ditas" all my life. I understand the curiosity and the frustrations of the author. Left with little physical documentation, one has no recourse but to turn to imagination. The author does so with grace and also unflinching scrutiny when it comes to the pain, tragedy, and humanity of Alice. It is tempting to put the main character on a pedestal, but the author avoids this and doesn't spare us from Alice's self-loathing and deep depression.

When my daughter read the blurb, she asked, "Well, who does she end up with?" I replied, "It's not as simple as that." It isn't, but I can tell you that it *is* a love story. It's a loving reconstruction of a life and it's a woman's love for her country and a just and equal world. It's about the people who loved Alice (including the author) and it's about the people she loved. Go read it.

[Jair Abanilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

After a lengthy reading slump and more time offered to the exacting pursuit of academics, Assembling Alice whiffed in a breath of fresh air to reading. I finished it in one sitting without the anxiety of completing it too fast and missing the details. Although I felt that some of the characters lacked more story further into the book, the assembly of Alice only became possible from narrative sources and written accounts. It all still contributed to a meaningful assembly that skillfully portrays a woman that would probably be persecuted today for steering attention towards the meaning of nationalism and truthful journalism in the assimilation of disinformation and misinformation to the current political era.

[juli · Rating 4 out of 5]

oddly enough that even despite the dozens of pages describing alice, it is through her own works wherein i understood her the most

[Gabriela Francisco · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a tale of survival, not just of one woman, but of a people and their struggle to remain civilized and human despite the worst brutalities war brings.

(To read the rest, please visit https://exlibrisphilippines.com/2024/... )

[Miracle Meryll · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alice Fiera is the author's grandmother. Even though she never met her grandmother, we are able to know her story through this book. Through the different stories about Alice from different people who know her and have passed through her life, the author was able to assemble Alice's story.

Assembling Alice is about an elegant, headstrong, musical, and brave woman. She was a pianist who later became one of the pioneers of women journalists in the Philippines. Throughout her journey, she met a Japanese spy and an American soldier, who both saved her at separate times.

This book was written in the same elegant and stunning manner as Alice Fiera was described. It transported me to a time when I had not yet been born, and the emotions felt by the character pierced my heart. It was so moving that I felt like I was inside the book, which is what makes this book so unique and powerful. It was powerful not only in the way it was written, but also in the message it conveyed to all Filipinos at the time.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well thought out material. Written in vignettes, the book is set in World War 2 Philippines, and seamlessly weaves the different patches of stories into a cohesive over-arching narrative. As for the prose, I found it very elegant without being pretentious, which I pretty much enjoyed. A delightful read.