Mary Gabrielle Fuertes

Although still a child, Melmel, a young Palaw’an, was arranged to be married to a tribesman of her late father in order to preserve their tradition. Her lover, Felix — a boy from the lowlands — opposed the decision but was powerless to do anything. In the days leading up to the arranged wedding, Melmel began to think of ways to change the path laid out for her. But in the end, she must face the hardest question of all: how far is she willing to go to fight for her own freedom, and who is she willing to leave behind for it?