"This true story of a young innocent girl brutalised by a despotic regime is a despairingly common story. Her own government betrayed her youthful ideals and aspirations. While it is an account of one life among many that endured such upheaval, it is a compelling warning.

I saw the best and worst of Filipino society while working as a journalist in the Philippines during Marcos' reign. That dark era showed how politics can devastate democratic ideals. Sadly in such a beautiful country, politics and violence have traditionally been combined and distorted to always benefit a select few."

" Though I finished reading the book, I did not want it to end. I reminded myself that I can always read it again. The author's words are like good wine. I am amazed at the well-crafted construction of not only the author's words, but how she has pieced together her thoughts. It is truly a crafted art form. Her style has layers of complexity that I wanted to savor after reading a sentence or paragraph. The way the author wove the personal and emotional experience of her childhood with the intellectual national historical and political background of the country was so incredibly interesting to me. She is a writer in the truest sense of the word—well done!"

"This book brought the Philippines alive for me, it was very compelling."

"This is one of the most memorable books I've ever read. Wonderfully told; absolutely remarkable. I highly recommend this book."