Legends & Adventures

"LEGENDS & ADVENTURES" retains the sharp observations, the charm and fine writing of the earlier volume, "MYSELF, ELSEWHERE", which dealt on the town of Ermita, the author’s early years and the devastation of World War II but adds the fast-paced excitement of post-war Manila, rebuilt and independent, as the Sin City of the Far East, where the young war widow covers the hard news and survives new perils.

The action moves from the description of old, genteel pre-war Ermita, the regimented schoolgirl and the young bride devastated by the war in “Myself, Elsewhere” to the seething, tawdry hustle of postwar journalism, politics and the colorful career of a working mother.

Through the tangles of Martial Law, the Marcos years, foreign travels and public service, she recounts personages, places and adventures in nimble, novelistic thrilling prose that makes readers forget this is a true story, honestly told. It is also highly entertaining cultural history, covering four continents but most of all, Manila.