Philippine E-Journals

Stark Realism in Jose Dalisay’s Soledad’s Sister: A Book Review

James M. Fajarito

 

Abstract:

Soledad’s Sister, a socially realistic novel, begins with the arrival of a casket from Jeddah to Manila (over 600 OFWs return as corpses every year, the blurb states), and the heartaches, trouble and confusion

it brings to many characters. The casket is picked up from the international airport and is supposed to be brought to the Quezon Province, but the van – and the casket/body – gets stolen. Through flashbacks, the past tribulations of the major characters are patiently revealed.