This collection of sixteen short stories brings the work of a distinguished Filipino writer to the attention of an American audience. Bienvenido N. Santos first came to the United States in 1941, and since then, he has lived intermittently here and in the Philippines, writing in English about his experiences. "Santos writes simply and skillfully of his countrymen who leave home for America, of the pain of separation, loneliness, longing, yesterday's hopes and tomorrow's dreams. His portraits of these gentle, courageous exiles are moving as he shows how each struggles to make his way in the new land, trying to find a life far from his roots while sustained by the dream of a return home. . . . Santos gets to the heart of what it is like to be uprooted, alone, alien." -"Publishers Weekly" "Santos is a writer of deceptive simplicity, one whose graceful storytelling conceals considerable political commitment. . . . His stories capture with warmth and deep humanity the pain of exile and the cost of progress." -"Washington Post" "Mr. Santos is a master at giving the reader a sense of people speaking in many languages and dialects." -Maxine Hong Kingston, "The New York Times Book Review" "The whole collection is affecting--a small, unexpected gift from a writer with a welcome new voice." -"Kirkus Reviews" "Mr. Santos' best pieces are exquisitely crafted works which examine with irony, humor, and humanity the plight of Filipinos in America." -"Studies in Short Fiction"