Ang Maghuhurno ebook edition

                                                          Ang Maghuhurno ebook edition

The Bread, the Baker, and the Lamp

In the hush of a 19th century kitchen, the primal Maghuhurno began stirring the mixture of flour and milk, the tender chemistry of beginnings. Through the capiz window, morning spilled like prayer. She was young, her hair bound low at the nape, her heart unbound. On the cupboard, the jars whispered gatas, asukal — milk and sugar — the alchemy of nurture, of sweetness distilled from toil.

By afternoon, the air ripened with the scent of warm loaves swelling in the oven, the small miracle of yeast and patience. She lifted the tray of bread, the steam of a hymn to the invisible: the women before her, the revolutions within her, the quiet endurance of love that fed more than flesh. Her smile was modest, but her creation glowed with communion of hunger and hope.

When night descended, she stood before the lampara, the world hushed except for the soft sigh of oil and flame. Her face, half-lit, carried the day’s memory: the dough that rose, the bread that broke, the silence that stayed. On the table, the loaves gleamed like moons, offerings to the God of labor, longing, and loss.

And so she became her own light--
Ang Maghuhurno, the baker of sustenance, the keeper of warmth in a world that grew cold.

The Shibuya Crossing

A retelling of the novella, Lovers in Kyoto by the same author, about not just crossing a line but a boundary against the forbidden.

The Personal and The Political

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.

Free copies of Pentirsi

Cymbeline Villamin will be giving free PDF copies of her anthology, PENTIRSI: Stories of Repentance, in November 2025, to the first 28 readers who email their interest to <cymbeline52@gmail.com>.

Offering to readers ten stories of more than 200 pages with 5"X7" trim size, written in a span of three decades. Convenient to read on laptop or mobile phone anywhere, anytime.

Yes, free to keep and share forever, without "strings attached." An early Christmas gift. 🎁

The Baker

Read A Review of the Filipino version

Lovers Between Worlds

In the context of Cymbeline Villamin's diptych novel, Lovers Between Worlds, "portals of transcendence" refers to the transformative power of emotions. These emotions serve as catalysts for the characters to move beyond their current state, thus achieving a higher self awareness and spiritual growth.

Transcendence implies a shift in perspective, allowing individuals to see themselves and the world around them in a new light.

The concept is often explored in speculative romance and fantasy where experiences can be amplified, leading to profound changes in the characters.

Speculative Romance

FB Page of Ang Maghuhurno

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Portals of Transcendence

FB Page of Pentirsi

FB Page of The Baker