Talking to the Moon

by Noel Alumit

Book Overview

When Jory Lalaban, a Filipino postman, finds himself the target of a racially motivated shooting he is forced to confront long buried memories of his life in the Philippines.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0786716290
• ISBN13: 9780786716296
• Release Date: January 2007
• Publisher: Da Capo Press
• Length: 340 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.6" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Racism and its Effects on a Family

Noel Alumit has succeeded in producing another fine novel - his second after the award winning 'Letters to Montgomery Clift'. For a young novelist to produce such quality of consistency is indeed a good omen for longevity. The reason for the continued interest in Alumit's work can be attributed to his unique technique of storytelling - a technique that successfully mixes 'progressive' story development as divided into chapters named for each of the chief characters, and blending these chapters in a manner that fleshes out the current motif with detailed history and motivation from the past. Add to this propelling non-linear fascinating plot his particular brand of magical realism and presto! - a story that is innately interesting becomes a kaleidoscope of language, human foibles, while exploring touchy issues such as racism, same sex love, and familial healing. Jory, the primary character, was born into poverty in the Philippines, placed in an orphanage, raised his standard of living in his alignment with the Catholic church and then finding a true source of philosophical commitment in Baguio, an area of the Philippines blessed with native spirit worship, healing, and magic. There he meets and falls in love with Belen, a beautiful girl from the wealthiest, most influential family on the island, and when Belen becomes pregnant and her family disowns her, Belen enters nursing and the couple eventually move to California. There, Jory is a mail carrier who continues to conjure spirits and embrace Moon worship. The couple has two boys - Jory Junior ('Jun-Jun') and Emerson (named after Jory's primary influence in his education - Ralph Waldo Emerson). Jun dies at age 8 in an accident and Emerson must accept the fact that his mother's grief is so profound that Emerson feels second best: the fact that Emerson is a closeted gay lad who finds friends with street hustlers further alienates him as does his most unsuccessful first relationship with an abusive man. The crisis of the story is a hate crime in which Jory is shot by a Nazi-like man placing Jory near death and then in a hospitalization for coma and multiple surgeries. The family finds healing in the tragedy as each member turns to private sources of spiritual nourishment, and the manner in which this loving yet fractured family recovers makes of a heartrending, tender conclusion. Noel Alumit understands how to address multiple social issues in solid plot details, allowing the reader to see such variations as multiracial gay love relationships and transplanted immigrant histories and traditions and the cleaver of hate crimes as sustainable plot elements instead of sidebar explosions. He writes with great reverence for the human spirit, and if his novels end with a bit too much tidying-up, he can be forgiven: the people he allows us to know in his novel deserve resolution. This novel is a very fine read! Grady Harp, July 07

A beautifully crafted page-turner!

I loved Noel Alumit's first novel, "Letters to Montgomery Clift." Alumit draws complete, human characters, whom I truly miss when I've finished the book. I loved "Talking to the Moon" even more. I couldn't put the book down, and for the best possible reason - I always needed to find out what these characters were going to do next, and what happened to them that made them who they are. Alumit crafts the story perfectly, exposing just enough history to reveal everything at just the right time. It's a love story, and a story of healing, and a mystery. I can't wait for Alumit's third novel!

Portrait of immigrant family trying to escape family "curse"

Jory Lalaban, a Filipino immigrant postal carrier, gets shot four times by a psychotic "America For Americans" bigot, and lies near death in a Los Angeles hospital. His family, consisting of dutiful wife Belen (who had abandoned her Catholic religion when she married Jory, but still communicates with the Virgin Mary) and his somewhat alienated 30 year old gay son Emerson, rally to his bedside, both recalling their previous family crisis, when Emerson's older brother, Ju-Ju (for Jory Jr.), was killed by a car that hit him on his skateboard when he was 8 years old. What Emerson hasn't told his parents is that Ju-Ju still speaks to him regularly when he needs guidance, calling him in phone calls nobody else can hear. Was there really a "family curse" put on them by Belen's mother, after she disgraced the family by becoming pregnant by Jory, who at that time was studying toward becoming a priest? And would it ever allow Emerson the kind of loving relationship his mother and father had, since a previous disasterous relationship make him leery about commitment, which has pushed away the only other man he loved, Michael, a Taiwanese flight attendant? The media attention from the attack puts an additional strain on the family, who finds their life savings depleted to pay the costs that medical insurance won't cover. A well-written emotionally-gripping story told mostly through somewhat meandering flashbacks by Emerson, Belen and Michael, and dreams by the comatose Jory, in alternating chapters. It skillfully highlights the impact of old customs and the new realities the family faces every day, with the insecurity of "the curse" the overriding factor. I give it four stars out of five.

An International Affair

Alumit, Noel, "Talking to the Moon". Carroll & Graf, 2007. An International Affair Amos Lassen and Literary Pride Noel Alumit's new book "Talking to the Moon" is quite a winner. It has something for everyone: the life cycle of birth and death, crime, intrigue, love, coming-of-age, mystery and above all else a solid plot that will keep you turning pages. It is about the struggles of a Filipino family has while living on the west coast of America and tells the story of persistence. Jory Lalaban is a postman who is Filipino. When he finds himself to be the target of a shooting based upon racial motivation, he is forced to face some issues that he thought he had left behind in the Philippines. He had been raised in an orphanage during World War II, entered the priesthood afterwards and then suddenly left in order to worship the Moon and for some reason forced to flee his homeland with his bride, Belen, His shooting became an international news item and tore his private life asunder and ultimately forced Jory to face his greatest fears. We meet in the book, Emerson, Jory's son, who talks to his dead brother on the phone but is unable to communicate his true feelings to the man he loves, Michael. Michael is from Taiwan and his relationship with Emerson sours him on American men. Belen, Joey's wife, claims to hear the voice of the Virgin Mary is another memorable character. Then there is William the shooter who is inspired by racism and demands to be heard. The book is based on actual events and the novel deals with some of the hot topics of the world today--race and religion, sexuality and diversity. Alumit has written an amazing book that cries out to be read. In the fashion of thrillers, "Talking to the Moon" is enhanced by lovely prose, realistic characters and everyday run-of-the-mill events. When a shot at one of the characters occurs, lives are changed and reality is questioned Lalaban and his wife came to America to escape the tensions they faced because their love crossed class-lines. She had been a rich debutante and he was a poor seminarian. When they are three years short of paying off the mortgage on their home, Jory is shot by a white supremacist. The inner lives of the couple and Jory's memories of the Philippines are meshed and the shooting incident begins to cause an unraveling of their relationships. The results are fascinating to watch as they unfold before our eyes. A lot happens in the novel but it is easy to follow and even easier to become a part of. Alumet has a knack for incorporating the reader into the plot so that he is not just looking in but can actually feel the events as they happen. This is a book that is multifaceted and mutli-dimensional. Above everything else, it is an interesting story and an excellent read.