In the waning days of World War II, as the Japanese and u.s. Forces battle to possess the philippine islands, the karangalan family hides with their neighbors in a cramped cellar, where they glean hope from the family st...In the waning days of World War II, as the Japanese and u.s. Forces battle to possess the philippine islands, the karangalan family hides with their neighbors in a cramped cellar, where they glean hope from the family stories and folktales they tell each other. These stories of love, survival, and family blend the supernatural with the rich, little known history of the philippines, the centuries of Spanish colonization, the power of the Catholic church, and the colorful worlds of the Spanish, mestizo, and filipino cultures.