Antolin

The Man and the Shadow

Romance, history, culture, intrigue . . . all in one book. This is based on a true story written by no less than a great-granddaughter of the central character, a Spanish Catholic priest of the friar orders. In the late nineteenth century, Father Antolin Frias occupies a significant position as administrator in the churches of Cebu in the Philippines, while the entire colony, Las Islas Filipinas, is on the verge of rebellion against the Spanish colonizers. Caught in a web of intrigue and romance, the priest is a man who struggles to liberate himself from the tyranny of his own life. Around him brews a boiling cauldron of violence and bloodshed as the nation struggles toward freedom from oppression. He knows freedom comes only with truth. Both man and nation must seek truth. But the truth is elusive and comes at a high price. With a touch of Jungian psychology and Hegelian philosophy, the book contains discussions of facts, folklore, and reflections. This adds credibility to the writers romantic interpretation of the characters own conflicts and moral struggle, as narrated by each of them in the first person. The book also contains a documentary made up of old photographs of the family and relevant historical places.