Mariquita--Revisited - by Chris Perez Howard (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Mariquita, first published in 1982, has become the most widely read novel about the CHamoru experience during World War II on Guam. Author Chris Perez Howard chronicles his mother's vibrant life before the War, her enduring strength during the Japanese occupation of the island, and her tragic death at the end of it. He also paints a vivid picture of life on Guam during these pivotal years. For this edition, Perez Howard revisits the story and adds more details, photos, and letters. It is a continuing tribute to a mother whose legacy lives on in the memories of all who read it.

Review Quotes

"A landmark novel from the island of Guam is both a brutal story of war and a beautiful act of resurrection"--Lenika Cruz "The Atlantic, "His Mother's Life Was a Mystery He Needed to Solve""

"On the surface, Maraquita is the CHamoru World War II story that too few people have read. Howard's careful research and imagination gives us access to the painful history of Guåhan during the Japanese occupation. On another level though, perhaps more important, Maraquita is a story of recovery--of a man writing to recover his connection to his mother and his people, and of the emotional labor that constitutes his journey"--Kiana Brown "Pacific Daily News, "'Maraquita -- Revisited' is the story of home""

About the Author

Chris Perez Howard believes that his adventurous spirit and endless curiosity are responsible for his unconventional life. Among his experiences, he served in the U.S. military; worked for the American Express Co. in New York; struggled as an artist in Rome, Italy; lived in Yap, the Seychelles, and the Philippines; and went to Africa to see wild animals in their natural habitat. In Guam, he has worked as a teacher, a news editor for the Guam Tribune, an assistant to the president of the Guam Community College, and a press secretary for the Governor of Guam. Academically, he attended the University of Alabama and Indiana University, and he graduated magna cum laude from the University of New Hampshire with a bachelor of fine arts degree. Chris is also a CHamoru rights activist, and is a former chairman of the Organization of People for Indigenous Rights (OPI-R) and has presented testimony before the United Nations and the US Congress. Presently, he is working on his novel - I Mestisan Engles.