Ang Maghuhurno (The Baker) by Cymbeline Villamin is a novel that intertwines the sensual and the spiritual, the personal and the political. It tells the story of Liz, a baker whose affair becomes an allegory of the Filipino conscience wounded by colonial religion, tested by corruption, yet still seeking redemption.
The act of bread making becomes a metaphor for creation and re-creation, guilt and grace. As the dough ferments and burns, so does the human soul shaped by time, suffering, and love.
Blending psychological realism, religious symbolism, and postcolonial critique, the novel reflects on how the body becomes a site of both sin and salvation. It echoes the moral introspection of Graham Greene, the mysticism of Nick Joaquin, and the sensual humanism of D. H. Lawrence, while remaining deeply Filipino in its imagery and voice.
Stay tuned for announcement of Cymbeline's book signing event next month at a college book fair in Dasmarinas, Cavite.
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