A collection of short stories with whimsical but real feeling experiences. As we blend Filipino American experiences with magical realism, we get to explore the intricate but broad themes of family dynamics, love, identity, LGBTQIA+, grief, race, and more through food, culture, and Tagalog. The short stories that stuck with me the most would be A Professional Lola (a lola impresonator gets hired for a family birthday) and The Second Panaderya Attack (a couple’s late night craving has them breaking into a bakery for pandesal -- aka Filipino bread rolls). Overall, this was such a fun and I’d definitely recommend it if you’re in the mood for an anthology!

I think this may be a case of "not for me." I don't understand what anything has to do with anything and I found myself rolling my eyes at most of these stories. I didn't like most of the characters and the stories are wild... The meaning behind most of the stories were not apparent to me, which made these short stories nonsensical. My favorite short story was "A Professional Lola."

#BookReview

A Professional Lola: And Other Stories
by E.P. Tuazon
Genre: Anthology
Pages: 208
Rating: 4/5

I understood most of the stories in this collection. A few I didn't didn't. Some stories exist more as isolated vignettes, but almost all are bound by the common theme of the complexities of an immigrant Filipino life. What is interesting is that even if I didn't understand a story, I somehow ended up enjoying it, probably because I could understand completely or partially the psyche of the characters.

Bakla—meaning homosexual in Filipino, is another primary theme found in most of the stories, and the author handles this theme well, presenting to readers its many nuances and edges as found in our societies, homes and minds in quite a contemporary, woke style. I adored this style. Serendipity that I read this book in the 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡 of June!

The stories do not come with explanation for quite a few of the Filipino words in it, and initially I had to Google them, but somehow I got used to it after some time and after a few stories, I could read on without reaching out to Google very frequently. Now I realise that this adds to the Filipino flavour of the stories, in a good + perfect way. A clever move by the author, also dangerous I would say, but somehow the author managed to pull it off successfully.

𝐀 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐋𝐨𝐥𝐚:

A family hires an actress to impersonate a lost family member for a birthday party, following a rising trend in the Filipino-American society.

To me, this story is a heartbreaking yet a sweet and fun take on how much we remember and miss the people we have lost, how much we want them back.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐚 𝐀𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐤

Late night craving of a couple for Filipino food prompts this story into action. The craving, catalysed by nostalgia works as a metaphor in this story to one's longing and restlessness to connect with their culture, and the extent to which one is ready to stretch beyond the usual to calm that restlessness.

I enjoyed the equation of the couple in this story. Their understanding and support for each other, made this a sweet story as well, which is perfect given the couple's craving for pandesal.

𝐓𝐢𝐧𝐲 𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐬

This story takes me by surprise, as suddenly all my intrigue shifts to who initially seemed like a secondary character. This story is an ode to passion. By the end of it, I ended up more intrigued by the secondary character in the story! This is my second favorite story from the lot; character and plot development is briilaintly done here, though in terms of the overall themes of this anthology, a few other stories shine brighter.

𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜

A story that I didn't understand much, but still enjoyed because of the interesting characters and the interesting plot. It's probably about the insecurities and desires of a married woman. No idea, tbh!

𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠

I couldn't understand this story well, it was about a man always borrowing his boss's barong to attend weddings. He sort of hero worships his boss, and the barong always feels special, but once his intrigue for his boss wears off, so does the special fascination he feels for the barong. He suffers nightmare about his brother's death, but somehow that death too loses its intensity. The idea of the story probably is that with time, everything... fascination, grief, etc. loses its intensity. Still not sure about what the story wanted to tell, but it was good to read. Maybe it wants to say that we attach special significance to nuggets of our culture because of the people we associate that nugget of culture with? I guess I am wrong here!

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐌𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞

A mother living in a house she has filled up with things from past, and a daughter, unsuccessfully trying to bring back the house to some semblance of sanity.
Didn't understand this story either, but still enjoyed reading it.

𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐠

Two people bonding over memories of video game, as the protagonist wades through memories that the mention of these games trigger. This was an okay to almost good read. Yet, it was fun to read how the barrier melts. I couldn't much understand the themes in the story, though I have some vague ideas about it.

𝐅𝐚𝐫 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐇𝐨𝐦𝐞

A story of connection to one's roots. The elements of fantasy gave this story an extra sheen. Loved it.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐌𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐥𝐞


A story, or rather a vignette about two friends in a bar, that explores why people immigrate, and how despite all uncertainties, how hope doesn't cease for some. Liked it ok ok as a story, though loved the sentiments and ethos within.

𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐰

A story with characters, settings and life sketched so well that it will stay with me for some time. Deals superbly with what we make of cultural nuggets, others and our own, for commercial and emotional reasons. We retain what makes sense to us, discarding the rest as fluff, a universal truth I feel. Loved it so much. My third favourite story.


𝐁𝐢𝐠𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐭

A story about who belongs where, or not, told masterfully through the family's obsession with the mythical creature called Bigfoot. Loved this story. I am almost in love with Bigfoot; wouldn't mind slipping on my shades and grabbing a beach chair next to him, to watch the sea together.

𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐠

A father-son story. Of bonding. Of love. Loved this story so much. Asian parents don't express their emotions in words. But if we know to look, we can always see a heart full of love. Again, loved this story. There is a lot going on in this story.

𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐚𝐨

A story about bearing through challenges, and a story about gender, the difference between males and females, and the things that do not get affected by the gender, like the bond we share with a loved one. Also a story of loss. This will be my most favourite story from this anthology of brilliant stories.

Thanks to Net Galley and 𝐑𝐞𝐝 𝐇𝐞𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 (publisher) for the advanced reader copy, though my opinion and emotions for these stories are unaffected by the gratitude I feel towards NG and Red Hen Press.

𝐑𝐞𝐝 𝐇𝐞𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬? Isn't that a lovely name? Attracted by this name of the publisher, I requested A Professional Lola from NG, and now I am happy I did so. Will look forward to more books by Red Hen Press, and by E.P. Tuazon.

Q: Do I recommend A Professional Lola: And Other Stories to my fellow readers?
A: Absolutely.

This is an interesting, often-poignant and humorous set of short stories about the Filipino-American experience. I enjoyed the stories, though some seemed to end too abruptly, just as you were starting to get attached to the characters. I had hoped to assign this in my classes on Southeast Asia and the diaspora, but the author never translates the Filipino/Tagalog terms used in the stories and there are too many foreign terms for me to expect my students to do the tedious work of looking them up. It is too bad, as all the authoor would have needed to have done would be to include footnoted definitions or a glossary at the end of the book. This would make it much more broadly appealing. I hope that if there is a second edition, the author will do so.

Really enjoyed this collection of short stories centering the lives of Filipino-Americans. They were hilarious, astute, with an emotional hook that revealed its tenacious gleam as the story developed. The stories explore identity, queerness, and the uncanny space between belonging and feeling on the outside, whether through being a part of the diaspora apart from a mythological homeland, or through fear and shame in the face of perceived cultural norms to do with gender and sexuality. Pain and poignancy aplenty but tenderness slips in too, with connections and family bonds extended across the unsaid, in ways that feel comfortable and true.

I look forward to more of E P Tuazon’s writing! Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this complimentary copy.

Thank you NetGalley and E.P. Tuazon for a e-arc copy of Professional Lola, in exchange for an honest review.

It's always been really hard for me to rate and review sets of short stories. I really enjoyed reading this, even if some of the stories were great and some of them were a little uninteresting.
As a Filipinx American woman, seeing characters who represent the people you grew up with is always amazing.

Excellent read all around. This would be a fantastic choice if you're searching for something a little bit different from your typical hefty novel read.

A Professional Lola is a very sweet collection of short stories all centered around a Filipino-American perspective and most of them also from an LGBTQ+ perspective. Like all collections of short stories, some of them were more compelling than others, however all made me wish there was more to read.

Love, loss, and navigating family are at the center of most of these although one I really liked in particular was about robbing a Filipino bakery. My other favorite featured Bigfoot vacationing in The Philippines. Grief is a theme throughout some of these stories in a way that is very relatable.

The magical realism in some of these stories added an extra element to them that was charming, and illustrated maybe how we wish life could be. None of it was absurd to the point where it ruined the story.

I would love to read a full length novel by E.P. Tuazon after reading this collection.

Many thanks to Red Hen Press and to NetGalley for this ARC to review. This review is my honest opinion.

“A Professional Lola” is a captivating collection of short stories that skillfully blend literary fiction with surreal elements. Through these tales, the contemporary Filipino American experience comes alive, exploring universal themes of love, family, and identity.
Each story in the collection is a brushstroke on the canvas of culture. The absurd seamlessly merges with the mundane, creating a rich tapestry.
From a family hiring an actress to portray their beloved grandmother at a party to a couple resorting to unconventional means for Filipino food, the narratives are both whimsical and thought-provoking.
The stories are beautifully grounded in Filipino culture. Readers will encounter coven of witches casting spells on their husbands and witness a transformation from Lolo to Lola.
These cultural touchpoints add depth and authenticity, making the collection resonate with readers across backgrounds.
A Professional Lola embodies a range of emotions. Joy, mystery, humor, sadness, and hunger intermingle within its pages.
The exploration of family dynamics—both heartwarming and complex—reflects the modern-day Filipino American virtues.
Beneath the surface, there’s a hint of the sinister. The commonplace takes unexpected turns, leaving readers questioning reality.
As we navigate these stories, we’re reminded that life’s mysteries often lie just beyond the ordinary.
E.P. Tuazon collection invites us to savor the magic of storytelling, where the surreal dances with the familiar.

these short stories offered glimpses into filipino american culture in a way i am yet to see replicated. each story hit home, landing somewhere in the vast ocean that separates or unites the philippines to america, depending on where you stand.

i found the writing so simply beautiful, and the writing style and cadence often emphasized the complications we often bring to life, while simultaneously neglecting the significance we’re able to create. throughout, tuazon invites you to admire the rich beauty in our culture -- the love, joy, respect, care and humor we will always share for and with one another. he highlights the the beautiful storytelling culture and our connection to our spirituality, as well as the sacrifices we so willingly make everyday for those we love. the authentic elements of my culture were so tenderly and carefully interwoven into the empty spaces between family, friends, and interpersonally.

but tuazon also suggests an analysis of our culture for some of its shortcomings: our lack of acceptance for the abundant lgbtq+ community, our passive aggression, and the survivor trauma that leads to holding on too tight to things we’re afraid to lose --manifested in objects, people, and beliefs.

as a child of immigrants, there’s also an exploration of the yearning to understand our parents and the home they walked away from in exchange for our futures, and the continuous desire to understand what was left behind and translate their ambitions and fears.

i loved this book! thank you netgalley and red hen publishing for providing me with a digital advanced reading copy in exchange for my honest thoughts and opinions.

Before the day ends, I wanted to send a happy publishing day to E.P. Tuazon! This book was my very first ARC - what a total honor. Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to read your book before its release date.

Now, onto the book review :)

This squirrel brain of mine ate up all the short stories woven into A Professional Lola. It’s real, yet magical… and it celebrates so many nuances growing up Filipino in America.

Prepare to LOL at the absurdity of some stories and shed a tear or two in others as characters grapple with loss, love, and the complexities of Fil-Am identity. Whether it's navigating cultural expectations or embracing one's queer identity, Tuazon portrays each experience in such a raw and whimsical way. Since it’s written in short form, some stories may feel like you’re left hangin!! There were a handful of times where I felt like I wanted and needed more for the stories to feel complete (I know, I know, it’s the nature of short stories!) but at the end I found this to be an intentional author move - pushing us to lean into the discomfort of the grey space of navigating identity and accepting non-closure in some scenarios we go through in life.

My final thought is that there were a loooot of direct translation of Tagalog words. While helpful for folks unfamiliar with the language, it would occasionally disrupt the flow of the story for me. Trusting the context within the narrative to allow readers to infer the Tagalog word meanings is something I would have like to see more of. With that said though, I know it’s a privilege to have been taught Tagalog given that a lot my fellow Fil-Am brothers and sisters were never taught the language in the first place.

Overall, "A Professional Lola" was a quick, enjoyable read and would highly recommend to anyone looking for some Filipino centered magical realism. Enjoy pamilya!!

I love how much representation seeps from every page and how full of honesty and love for the culture is within these short stories.

4.25/5 stars

A Professional Lola by EP Tuazon is a short story anthology featuring stories from folks in the Filipinx-American diaspora. This book adds a touch of the surreal as it explores the themes of family, love, identity, queerness, and grief.

I’ve spent so much of my avid reader life looking for myself and my friends and family written and reflected in the pages of the books I read. Due to publishing (slowly) expanding and diversifying from the straight white cis-hetero norm, I have only recently had the chance to be finding and reading more Filipinx American literature written by Filipinx American authors. In this anthology, I found the names and variations of my uncles, my friends, cousins of friends, my own family name, as well as the exact man my very own dad was named for (who was not in fact Filipino, but that’s besides the point lol).

As an American-born daughter to Filipinx immigrants, growing up I was not taught to speak fluent Filipino. Having said that, I have a pretty decent grasp of Filipino when spoken in casual conversation. My relationship to reading the language in this book had its own journey; I felt myself taking extra care in mentally reading aloud the written text and found that I understood most of it. However, it was a clunky experience— I did not realize *how much* I understood until it felt like it *was* spoken out loud. (Honestly, really helpful that Filipino is phonetic.) As a heritage speaker, reading written Filipino language felt like some sort of simultaneous mix of redemption and homecoming. I could taste the accents that speak of home and family and family from the homeland.

Another thing I found throughout these stories was the incorporation of Filipino food. I recognize the home found in the relationship between the characters and the food found on page. Speaking for myself and the FilAm social circles with whose company I keep, a core experience for being a part of the Filipinx diaspora involves connecting and reconnecting with our culture and motherland through food— it is also oftentimes (most times? every time?) a cultural means of saying, “I love you.” In the short story, “Bellow Below,” one of the characters decides to make bilo-bilo for dessert. This was a food that my family traditionally made and ate together specifically for New Year’s because part of family and cultural traditions includes surrounding ourselves with round things for good luck in the near year (hence the literal translation of bilo-bilo to balls balls). Additionally some other Filipino food mentions from the short stories, “A Professional Lola” and “The Second Panaderya Attack” that were specific to my own life include silog (the perfect breakfast, honestly), sisig (the go-to fundraiser food sold on campus by my university’s Filipinx organization), Filipino spaghetti (my personal favorite often eaten on birthdays for long noodles, long life), and pandesal (especially when eaten warm with butter or dipped in coffee, *chef’s kiss!!!!!* — when I was a child, almost similar to the main character of “The Second Panaderya Attack,” my parents often made a point of buying fresh pandesal first thing in the morning from the bakery next to Green Hills before it closed; rip).

At times, I found myself wondering if this anthology is categorized under the genre of magical realism. I’m honestly not sure where this book lies as it relates to the contemporary to surreal to magical realism where category classifications demand certain definitions. Genuine question: is there a spectrum between surreal and magical realism? I don’t know, but I was certainly left feeling some type of way from the surreal aspects woven into these stories. I was specifically taught that magical realism is a post-colonial genre of fiction that has roots born from resisting and opposing oppression, originating from Latin American authors (lol hello @ all the Latin American countries with whom the Philippines shares a colonizer). Because of what I learned in class, I’ve been dancing along the lines of how this anthology fits within that definition. But perhaps I am overthinking it and, in the case of this book, should allow surreal to encapsulate and settle where any definitions and boundaries lie. This questioning didn’t necessarily take me out of the book— instead the surreal built up the stories in ways that somehow made them feel like they actually made more sense than if that element had been absent.

Additionally, while my own family is not from Eagle Rock, a lot of my FilAm friends have called and still call Eagle Rock home, and the inclusion and acknowledgment of the Filipinx community in Eagle Rock as well as San Diego (where some of my relatives live) is so right and true to our diaspora in Southern California. It’s just so comforting to see this representation reflected in literature.

Furthermore, in my journey in connecting with the Filipino culture, I’ve taken part in my fair share of Filipino Cultural Nights/Celebrations within the Catholic church I grew up going to as well as the Filipinx organization at my university. It was surprising? Amazing? Heartwarming. Validating. Cathartic, perhaps, to see itik-itik on the pages of the story story, “Tiny Dancer,” when that was a dance that I, myself, performed when I was in the third grade. (I even still remember the exact basic dance step described in the short story and could probably quack my way alongside that character.)

Finally, I want to acknowledge that there is no one singular experience or story that epitomizes the entirety of being one part of a whole diaspora, so I fully understand that every individual experience will be different; there is no one story that is more valid than another. I will, however, say that reading this book felt like I could’ve been stepping into the thoughts and lives of many people in my own life and community. I say this with the upmost affection—reading this book felt like putting on my black knee-high socks that are part of my signature outfits (when the weather permits) after they’ve gone missing for years, or maybe rather, it felt like finally finding my perfect pair of black, knee-high socks that I’ve been looking for my entire life with a touch of that Cinderella magic and that Goldilocks (see what I did there 👀) feeling of just right.

Thank you, Netgalley and Red Hen Press, for the ARC!

I adored these short stories. Set in a slice-of-life and magical realism setting, it’s a perfect glimpse to the Filipino-American culture and dynamics. It explores various themes of grief and diaspora that I’m sure would make fellow Filipino-Americans feel seen.

Thank you to Netgalley and Red Hen Press for the ARC! :>

A great insight to Filipino-American culture and their relationship with their Filipino roots, family, and food. But at times I feel like the switch to Filipino language felt a bit forced and made some conversations feel a bit unnatural. Overall, this is a good, lighthearted read.

If you’re going to read one story, it has to be the titled story “Professional Lola”! I would love to read an entire book about it!!!! It had me sobbing and missing my grandma so so much. It was every bit funny and heartfelt and ughhh just so good!!

All up — what a wonderful collection of stories set in the Phillipines to America. I felt the start of the collection was very strong with some unique and very different stories and towards the end they were okay!

Would definitely recommend.

This was a great collection of short stories. I liked the different type of family dynamics while reading different shot stories. It was a quick read.

I got an e-arc of this book on NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to Red Hen Press and E.P. Tuazon for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I always find rating and reviewing collections of short stories to be very difficult. In this some of the stories were great and the others were a little forgettable, but overall I had a great time reading. It is always great to see characters that reflect people you grew up with. The pandesal story is one that I feel sticks out for me.

Overall, great read. If you are looking for something a little bit different than your normal large novel read, this would be a great pick

What a lovely collection of short stories! These stories, focusing mainly on the filipino-american experience, were exactly the right mix of heartfelt, interesting and strange for me. As always with story collections, there were some that didn't land with me, but the ones that did fully made up for that.

The last two stories, Handog and Caraboa, which deal mainly with family relationships, were my fav. Also Tiny dancer! All in all, just a really lovely read, that's all I can say lol.

Thanks to Netgalley and Red Hen press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I’m not the biggest reader of short stories but I absolutely loved this collection of short stories. A Professional Lola is comprised of short stories showcasing Filipino culture across topics from dealing with grief and family relationships. I loved getting to learn more about filipino culture from this and seeing it tie into magic realism. Tuazon did a beautiful job crafting these stories to showcase harder themes dealing with internalized racism or queerness in a traditional culture. My favorite story is the first one with the professional Lola, hired by a family to act as their lola for a birthday party.

Thank you to Netgalley and Red Hen Press for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

Rating: 3.5 rounded up
As a Filipinx American, I always enjoy being able to see myself on the pages. There were about 3/4 of the stories that I enjoyed more than others, with the Professional Lola being one of my favorites. I have never heard of that being a thing, and it made me wonder how I would feel about it, especially with me not being close to the only grandmother I knew. (Everyone else had passed before I was born).

There were pieces of magical realism that sometimes made it difficult to connect or resonate. I think if it was more of a fictional story with more plot, I would have enjoyed those pieces more. In general, I really enjoyed the themes of family, identity, and the inclusion of LGBTQ issues.