This is a book about a Filipino Muslim girl named Farah who had been blessed with the opportunity for a better life (to put it lightly). It also gives some detail into the Tausug culture, particularly some discussion on martabbat, a kind of vendetta curiously unique to this kind of Filipino society.
I particularly liked how the author was able to give ample descriptions about Farah- her likes and dislikes, her love and duty of and to her family, her own perspectives and thoughts about her life. The people around her weren’t passive characters either; they all have their own unique personalities and reactions towards Farah and her lifestyle. I love how the book ends, although it seems as if all the drama-charged action of the last few pages was too rushed.
This book, however, is a bit verbose. While the story itself is interesting, there are times wherein it deviates from the main storyline and goes into other topics, such as grand descriptions of well-known art forms (be it performance, sculpture, architecture, literature or painting), or some history of a couple of European sites. Fascinating as these pieces of information may be, they tend to stray almost a whole lot from Farah’s story.
All in all, a good read, although the what I’d call “irrelevant discussion” (that lends almost very little towards the story) almost put me off from finishing this. The bits of discussion here on art and literature are definitely worth a re-read, though.
Farah by Edilberto K. Tiempo
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
