My Sad Republic: A Novel

Winner of the Philippine Centennial Literary Award in 1998 and first published in 2000, My Sad Republic is a story of love and loss, obsession and revolution. Set against the epic backdrop of the Spanish-American War and the subsequent war between the United States and the Philippines, it is loosely based on the life of Dionisio Magbuelas, also known as Isio, or The Pope."

One of several leaders of millenarian movements across the archipelago, he rose to legend during a time of immense social and cultural change in the country, where the Spaniards had kept many islands under the spell of sixteenth-century superstition. It was a time that would be pivotal in the history not only of the Philippines, but also the United States, which was on the brink of becoming the next global empire. 

Blending actual historical sources, folklore, and native ritual, the novel narrates the impact of these upheavals on the lives of several characters whose destinies are altered by a nation about to be born, and its repercussions which linger to this day.  

This twentieth anniversary edition is extensively revised with new passages. "A literary work is never entirely finished, Gamalinda says. "l am fortunate to have been given this opportunity to refine it into what I hope will be the novel's definitive edition."

About the Author

Born and raised in Manila, Eric Gamalinda first published in the Philippines: four novels, Planet Waves (1989), Confessions of a Volcano (1990), Empire of Memory (1992), and My Sad Republic (2000); a short-story collection, Peripheral Vision (1992); and a poetry book, Lyrics from a Dead Language (1991). All were written and published in the last decade of the twentieth century to literary acclaim, recognized with National Book Awards and the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards, many times over, including his nonfiction and plays. His fifth novel, The Descartes Highlands, was published in the US and was shortlisted for the Man Asian Literary Prize. He is the author of People Are Strange, his second short-story collection, and two poetry collections: Zero Gravity, winner of the Asian American Literary Award, and Amigo Warfare.