She instinctively knows that forming a true relationship with Hero will require patience and prudence.
Rosalyn gives the impression of naïve youth, but we find out she understands much more than she lets on. She is surprised to realize she has grown to care about Roni and Rosalyn perhaps she is surprised that her heart is even capable of love. Hero has been through a tremendous amount of trauma and is reluctant to make herself vulnerable. Pol refers to Hero as a tabungáw – a gourd with a hard outer shell but tender interior. Can Rosalyn break through the protective barriers Hero has erected? The Characters Rosalyn is younger than Hero but is obviously interested. While visiting a “faith healer” in search of relief for Roni, Hero meets Rosalyn. Roni is a spunky kid that gets into fights at school, and her toughness impresses Hero. While Pol and Paz are working, Hero forms a bond with their young daughter. Paz works incredibly long hours and is the extended family’s “anchor” providing both financial support and a foothold to the United States. Pol was a successful surgeon in the Philippines, but works as a security guard in California where his wife Paz, a nurse, is the primary breadwinner. Now in her mid-30s, Hero has to make a new life in a new country. Her well-connected parents disown her and her uncle Pol eventually takes her in. She was eventually captured and tortured in a prison camp.
Born to a wealthy family in the Philippines, Hero made her way to medical school in Manila where she was recruited into the New People’s Army (NPA) and their guerrilla war against the Marcos regime.
As the story progresses we learn about her history. Hero has damaged hands and seems emotionally fragile. We meet Geronima “Hero” De Vera as she arrives in California to stay with her uncle and his family. This is an ambitious novel that manages to explore immigration, politics, sexuality, class conflict, trauma, and family. America is Not the Heart by Elaine Castillo is an epic work of literary fiction that follows a Filipina as she settles into the California Bay Area.
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