Every Ounce of Courage - by Elizabeth Ann Besa-Quirino (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

It began with an unexpected phone call and a startling statement: "You don't know me, but your mother saved my life."

The late night conversation with an American World War II veteran revealed to Elizabeth Ann Besa Quirino the untold stories of her mother's remarkable wartime heroism and sparked a twenty-year journey of discovery about her lifelong acts of bravery and compassion.

Lourdes "Lulu" Reyes Besa channeled the heartbreak of a childhood tragedy into a profound sense of compassion and service. She helped raise three brothers while still a child herself in the early years of the 20th century. Then, as a young socialite in the heydays of 1930s Manila, she focused on meaningful philanthropy and charity work. During the merciless Japanese occupation of the Philippines, Lulu embarked unflinchingly on dangerous missions to bring aid and comfort that meant the difference between life and death to countless Filipino and American prisoners of war. She continued to face personal grief and adversity in the later decades of her life but met each challenge as before - with every ounce of courage, fortitude and grace.

Elizabeth Ann delved into a trove of old letters, photographs and recipes in search of the source of her mother's courageous spirit. In Lulu's story, she found a complex life full of joy, sorrow, selflessness and survival, and learned precious lessons about how the timeless bonds of family, the steadfast strength of faith and the power of an indomitable will can provide solace and sense in a world of uncertainty.

Review Quotes

"In Every Ounce of Courage Ms. Besa-Quirino has woven memoir, history, and culinary narrative into an engrossing account of her mother's remarkable life. I was as absorbed by Quirino's suspenseful telling of her mother's fearlessness in Japanese-occupied Manila during WWII as I was enchanted by her depictions of family life in the Philippine provinces post-War. And, I was made very hungry by her memories of the mouthwatering dishes that Ms. Quirino's mother lovingly made for her family."

-Robyn Eckhardt, Food Writer, and Author, Istanbul And Beyond

"Book is heart wrenching. A daughter's loving homage to her mother through the prism of family recipes that were handed down through several generations. More than that, it is a daughter's discovery of a courageous and selfless woman who saved the lives of countless prisoners-of-war during World War II in the Philippines."

-Cecilia I. Gaerlan , Founder & Executive Director, Bataan Legacy Historical Society

"This book is a treasury of family lore, a fond look back at a lost world. It is a human and humane encounter with greatness and kindness, the two necessarily sustaining each other; and it is a compendium of delights for the senses which is what all good food and the discussion of good food can be and should be. A labor of love, it will kindle in all who read it, a love, in return, for what it means to be a Filipino and belong to a family -the extended kind we Filipinos all uphold and defend."

-Manuel L. Quezon III, Columnist, The Philippine Daily Inquirer

"This book is as warm and comforting as a home-cooked meal at a family table. I savored every intimate morsel of these well-told and beautiful stories."

-Ben Montgomery, author of New York Times bestselling "Grandma Gatewood's Walk"

In "Every Ounce of Courage", renowned journalist and cookbook author Elizabeth Ann Besa-Quirino shares the astounding story of her mother, Lulu Reyes Besa, whose lifetime of bravery and resilience included saving the lives of countless Filipino and American POW's during World War II. This moving saga follows Lulu's family through four generations, from her childhood and wartime in Manila, to marriage and raising her family in Tarlac Province; through seasons of prosperity and survival, harmony and discord, joy and heartbreak. Fueled by her deep faith and generous heart, Lulu nourishes her community as well as her family from her kitchen and her table, as a parent, volunteer, and faithful friend. The author's evocative descriptions of Lulu's extraordinary cooking kept me hungry as I read.

-Nancie McDermott, Cookbook Author, Food Writer, Cooking Teacher