Viewing Filipino history from a different lens
How this historical fiction novel from the Ateneo Press leaves an impact on readers
By MB Lifestyle
Published Jun 13, 2025 06:14 pm
At A Glance
- 'The House by the Beach' is, above all, a cautionary tale about the Filipino manhood and the culture of machismo, in which men and women are held to different sexual standards, with serious consequences.—Linda Villamor
A CAPTIVATING STORY 'A House by the Beach' follows how a Filipino family navigates through three different colonial rulers at the turn of the century.
It’s astonishing how resilient our nation has been in the hands of colonists.
As we entered the 20th century, the Philippines faced an interesting time as Spain surrendered our country to the US. Just a few decades later, our country would find itself turned over yet again after Imperial Japan expanded its forces in Asia and the Pacific during World War II. I We have heard many tales of how families had to endure certain hardships in order to survive during those trying times. In this new historical fiction novel released by the Ateneo Press, we follow just that.
In Marichelle Roque-Lutz’s “The House by the Beach,” we follow the story of a family based in Cuyo Island, Palawan, as they go through the final years of Spanish rule to the aftermath of WWII. At the center of it all is Carlos, a man made of opposites, both charming and destructive, whose actions leave a quiet trail of pain and misery. Left to deal with the consequences of his actions are his wife, mistress, and children. One of his daughters, Lupe, aims to figure out her family history, hoping to make sense of her father’s complexities and how they continue to affect others.
Early praises speak highly of “The House by the Beach” and its immersive nature. As columnist and author Teresita Roces-Santos puts it, “We see Cuyonon as quite different—in its family tradition, in its community culture, in its take on religion: one not purely Catholic, but mixed with folklore and superstition—but a town not altogether alien, or un-native, which actually makes the reading singularly interesting. Put in that setting a story of love in all its passions, pure as well as transgressive, with all the mess that sometimes defies resolution and you have a novel that transports you to another place, yet a place that, being just an island south of our native archipelago, is not at all unknown to us. And all that makes for a novel that stirs with both familiarity and mystery.”
“The House by the Beach” is available at the Ateneo University Press Bookshop and its store pages on Shopee and Lazada for only P695.