We Belong

February 26, 2021

Gr 4 Up-Sisters Stella and Luna ask their mother, Elsie, for a story one night before bed. Elsie shares with them two stories that weave together and complement each other. First, she tells the story of Dalisay, mother of three demigods; second, the story of Elsie's own childhood and mother who was abusive. Because of this, Elsie found herself always searching for other, better, mothers in stories. Told in verse, mixing Tagalog and English, the plot takes place through flashbacks and current moments. This sweet tale jumps around between Elsie's childhood in the Philippines, her eventual move and adjusting to life in the United States, Filipino culture and mythology, and present-day moments between mother and daughters. A glossary of Tagalog words used is included in the back of the book. VERDICT Everman's debut tackles timely topics such as immigration, and something that all adults and kids yearn for: a sense of belonging. A short, charming tale perfect for easing students into middle grade and longer chapter books.-Alicia Kalan, The Northwest Sch., Seattle

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April 1, 2021
Grades 6-8 From debut author Everman comes a novel in verse that blends the magical and the real. As Elsie's three children prepare for bedtime, they beg her for a story--Elsie's own story. She instead tells them about Mayari, the moon goddess, who journeys with her siblings from one land to another. Mayari's story parallels Elsie's, as well as how her family fled the Philippines and came to America. It is, at times, a painful but familiar new immigrant story of struggle and hardship, but it also showcases not only the very tight bonds of Filipino families but also their perseverance. The book's strength lies in Everman's ability to weave a plot that incorporates Filipino mythology with a personal immigration story. The challenge is in keeping track of all the characters, some with more than one name. Everman's novel is a nice addition to the modern Filipino voices in children's literature, including the similarly themed Fresh Off the Boat (2005), by Melissa de la Cruz, and Erin Entrada Kelly's The Land of Forgotten Girls (2016).

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Starred review from January 1, 2021
A Pilipino mother recounts a bedtime story about gods and her own family mythology. Speaking in free verse, Elsie, mother to young mixed-race girls Stella and Luna (their dad is White), weaves a moving and ethereal story about family, loss, pain, and hope. Beautifully steeped in Pilipino culture and cosmology, the story she tells is that of Mayari, the moon goddess, and how she came to make it her life's work to reflect light. Her heartfelt narration brings the gods to life. Mayari and her siblings, Apolaki and Tala, believe they have humble beginnings but later learn their father is Bathala Maykapal, or God Creator. Forced to choose between Earth and Heaven, the siblings take only what they can carry and follow their father to Heaven despite their fears. Their fight to belong with the other gods mirrors Elsie's other tale, that of her family's tumultuous immigration to the United States from the Philippines during Ferdinand Marcos' reign amid violent protests and rolling blackouts. Like Mayari, Elsie could bring only so much with her and was forced to leave behind more than her toys--like the yayas, or nannies, who cared for her and the neighborhood she grew up in. Woven together in captivating parallels, Elsie's and Mayari's stories (the former in black type and the latter in light blue) reflect the struggle and hardship many immigrants face in search of a new life. Sometimes raw and traumatic, other times hopeful and inspiring, Elsie's bedtime story rings true, encapsulating the heart of Pilipino culture. A beautiful and poignant tale of immigration fused with Tagalog myth. (glossary, songs, afterword) (Verse fiction. 10-14)

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