The Colors of Quiapo: Charlson Ong. White Lady, Black Christ. Pasig: Milflores Publishing, 2021. 288 pages.

Authors

Jonathan Victor Baldoza, Princeton UniversityFollow

Abstract

Excerpt: A mystical ambience inhabits the world of Charlson Ong’s latest novel White Lady, Black Christ. It draws from the vitality radiated by Quiapo in Manila, where the statue of the Black Nazarene (Nazareno) dwells. The wooden icon, an artefact of the transpacific Galleon Trade from centuries ago, depicts a kneeling Christ carrying the cross, frequently interpreted as mirroring the hardships of its zealous devotees. Every January, fervent and pious believers gather for an hours-long procession by foot (translación), seeking to come close to the venerated icon.

Recommended Citation

Baldoza, Jonathan Victor (2023) "The Colors of Quiapo: Charlson Ong. White Lady, Black Christ. Pasig: Milflores Publishing, 2021. 288 pages.," Perspectives in the Arts and Humanities Asia: Vol. 13: No. 2, Article 5.
Available at: https://archium.ateneo.edu/paha/vol13/iss2/5