Transformational, Triumphant: Del Carmen's 'Storm Across My Cherished Bamboo Bridge'
A book review by Marivir Montebon
So gently written, the novel 'Storm across my cherished bamboo bridge' (Austin MacCauley Publishers, 2022, 215 pages) is unputtable down as it emerges victorious against the harrowing brutality of murder, betrayal, and survival.
Cover design by Olivia Mestidio
It's author Gene del Carmen's debut as a novelist. And oh my, I was touched by its transformational and relational value as a narrative of an immigrant family. Embroiled in perhaps the most horrible human chaos (murder, mafia, poverty), Douglas and Agnes have transformed themselves into luminous persons that they could become.
Hard work, remorse, forgiveness, and love...the recipe to overcome any adversity in life is carefully put in by Del Carmen in this book. I think that Del Carmen's lavish background in Theology played up well in the pages of his book. It is truly inspiring.
Author Gene del Carmen
Using the allegory of the storm-battered bamboo bridge, Del Carmen reveals his rootedness with Asian values of family love. No human tragedy (or for this matter, storm) could crush the resilient bamboo. It will bow to the wind's ferocity and won't break. The might of the human spirit rising from the storm is the essence of the story.
One gets to see the faces of love and inclusion here: George, the Greek business assistant, and his Guatemalan girlfriend Dolores who were Douglas's extended family.
There's Guang, Douglas's childhood friend, who exemplifies betrayal and transformation in jail. And Meiling, Douglas's only daughter, a Filipino-Chinese, sweet and smart but totally unaware of her parents' dark past.
Brace yourself for Meiling's relentless search of her mother Agnes. That touched a chord in my heart.
But I shall not tell you all. At the crossroads of his heart, will Douglas return to his lost love Agnes or will he pursue Natalie who forgave him for the crime of killing her father?
It's so thrilling! I halted all my daily chores to eagerly finish this book. It's worth all the tears and thrills.
Get a copy of this beautiful novel from Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
Del Carmen is a short story writer for comics and TV scripts in Manila. He is the celebrated author of The Manny Pacquiao Effect and holds an MA in Theology. He just retired as a corporate accountant and works as a realtor in New Jersey where he lives with his wife Arielita. #
