Reuniting With Strangers: A Novel by Jennilee Austria-Bonifacio

"We have one copy of this out of print title for sale; if interested, let us know immediately. Once sold, we offer a free Search Service for this title. Email us: info@philippinebookshop.com if interested so that we can include your name in the list. When our Book Scouts are able to find the title, we will let you know accordingly. However, we can not guarantee when exactly it will be. Do not pay for your order first. Upon receipt of your email, we will check with the publisher if the book is still available, what is the new price, and when to expect delivery. This way, we can relay the particulars to you before you pay. Please note that if you pay and then cancel your order for one reason or another, PayPal has a 3.9% plus $0.15 fee that they charge us for every transaction. So, we would appreciate it if you just follow the instructions as stated here. This way, we will not pass on this fee to you should you cancel your order."

Reuniting with Strangers is a kaleidoscopic debut novel-in-stories that maps the separations and reconnections of diasporic Filipino families whose stories intersect with the journey of an enigmatic five-year-old named Monolith.

Vera has been dreaming for years about the day she will be reunited with her son Monolith, who has been raised by her sister in the Philippines ever since Vera moved overseas to work as a caregiver. But when he finally arrives, Monolith is violent, destructive, and unable—or unwilling?—to speak.

Monolith and Vera weave themselves through the chapters that follow, as new characters take up the narrative, telling their own stories and providing insight into Monolith’s psyche. Incorporating a plethora of forms—emails, text messages, resumes, a songbook, an instruction manual—and traversing diverse settings scattered across Canada and the Philippines, their voices combine to form a joyful, devastating, humorous, and surprising account of the way North American reliance on Filipina caregivers has impacted families on both sides of the ocean.

Compellingly readable, Jennilee Austria-Bonifacio’s stunning debut reveals the displacement, estrangement, resilience and healing in the homes and hearts of the Filipino community around the globe.

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Douglas & McIntyre (April 16, 2024)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 240 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1771623586
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1771623582
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.8 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.5 x 9 inches