The Disinherited — Han Ong

After three decades in the United States, Roger Caracera must return to his native Philippines to bury his father, the corrupt and charismatic head of a sugar dynasty. Once in Manila, however, Roger must embark on two searches. The first quest revolves around the unfortunate inheritance of half-a-million dollars; money that Roger sees as tainted and must therefore give away. The search for a proper beneficiary leads Caracera through the highs and lows of modern Filipino culture, through the city's luxury homes and back alley brothels. It is on this quest that Roger discovers a second journey, centering not on his native country's history, but on his family's dark past. Embedded in these two histories is a revelation of personal and political proportions.