Why is my debut novel entitled “Enlightenment?”
The word “Enlightenment” conjures up images of 17th and 18th century Europe when philosophers of that time used rationale thought in interpreting human beings relationship with God. Deism took hold which encompassed a diversity of people from various religious beliefs.
Translate this Age of Enlightenment to modern times, I feel we are at a similar crossroads. In my opinion, the world is in another Age of Enlightenment where social media has emboldened people to give their opinions on all things celebrity, religion and politics. Each community uses technology to organize, using their sense of reason to accomplish their common goal. But within this new age of enlightenment, there is sometimes confusion behind the rhetoric of leaders in our communities, religious faiths and countries.
In this new Age of Enlightenment, individuals look for a connection to their past to help rationalize who they are today. As a Filipino American writer, I’ve looked to see how my homeland, the Philippines, has shaped who I am. Within this personal journey, I’ve come across revelations about the history of the Philippines that has been nearly forgotten.
Pre-Hispanic Philippines.
There is a resurgence of educators around the world who have looked at this ambiguous time period. The Spanish colonized in the Philippines in 1565 after native Cebuanos fought off Magellan in 1521. Many natives beliefs were transformed into Christian beliefs which over time, has made the Philippines (named after King Phillip of Spain) a predominantly Christian nation. These are things many people know already.
But many historian and educators are still assembling historical pieces of the Philippines prior to the Spanish arrival. What was the Philippines like in the 1100’s? 1200’s? 1300’s?
It is educated conjecture.
My Bathala Series delves into this setting in a hopefully entertaining story centered around a Filipino American eighteen year-old girl in modern times unaware of her homeland family lineage. The first book, Enlightenment, is told from her very American perspective as she connects the dots to extraordinary and supernatural realities of the past.
And I am so excited to announce it will be released in January 2018. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for its success.
Filed under: Writing