Women’s Month Reading List: Non-fiction

Women’s Month is about shining a light on the lives of women from all walks of life. Each book on this list details many journeys—one of struggle,  determination, resistance, joy, and hope. Each book is a tale of self-discovery, where inner worlds meet larger society, leading to their transformation. 

Woman Enough and Other Essays by Carmen Guerrero Nakpil

Carmen Guerrero Nakpil has earned the reputation in journalistic circles of having naturally and comfortably commanded equality with her male counterparts and, to her credit, this was in the 1950s. In this collection of 22 essays on politics and many other areas of interest over the said period, she speaks her mind with honesty and humor that is described as “mundane and exhilaratingly alive”.  Her opening salvo is a piece with her observation that “while men are always being pushed to be man enough, even the least of us women is always a woman enough.

Whatever: A New Collection of Later Essays, 1987-2001 by Carmen Guerrero Nakpil

Whatever is the third collection chosen from essays written by Carmen Guerrero Nakpil published in Metro Manila dailies from 1987-2001. Whatever refers to the millennial term meaning “All right. It is up to you but this is my take on the subject”. The book title resonates well with the author’s character, one filled with daring opinions and fascinating perspectives on diverse topics with humor and wit. 

Rosario De Guzman-Lingat, 1924-1997: The Burden of Self and History by Soledad S. Reyes

This bio-book aims to bestow upon Rosario de Guzman Lingat a much-deserved recognition of her exemplary and distinctive contribution to Filipino literature.  Her works are infused with superb realism, relatable characters, and storylines imbued with irony and historicity—methods that challenge established conventions. Author Soledad S. Reyes presents the highlights of Ms. Lingat’s life and the significant influences that determined her chosen path.

Ascending the Fourth Mountain: A Personal Account of the Marcos Years by Maria Virginia Yap Morales 

Maria Virginia Yap Morales’ account is of epic proportions as it spans her and her family’s encounters with the Spanish and American eras, the Republic, the Marcos regime, and EDSA I. The book focuses on the revolutionary movement during the martial law years and the resistance fought against the three mountains of American imperialism, feudalism, and bureaucratic capitalism.  She delves deep into the struggles of women against a fourth mountain outside and unfortunately present also within the underground movement. 

Pugad Para Sa Aking Special Child, At Iba Pang Pugad by Fanny A. Garcia 

Fanny A. Garcia writes 27 essays about her pursuit of building a house/nest for her one and only child who is a non-verbal autistic. This follows her first book Erick Slumbook: Paglalakbay Kasama ang Anak Kong Autistic in which she shares her ordeals from learning the diagnosis to raising and taking care of him to the age of 17 years old. Pugad is a personal, political, private, and public work—telling the story of a mother and son as they endure the events happening around them.

The books in this collection depict the complexities within the writers themselves. It explores the societal inequalities they had to constantly grapple with. This women’s month, we hope you join us in recognizing and honoring such personal stories and the immense courage it took to tell them. 

These titles are available at our physical bookshop, as well as our online stores: Shopee and Lazada.