‘A pyrotechnical marvel’ with a plot rooted in the Philippine-American War, Insurrecto unspools over decades and across the globe as it raises questions about class, conquest, and who gets to tell history.
Catching up with PW's Andrew Albanese
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It’s not yet Halloween, but on Monday, Publishers Weekly unveils its reckoning of the year’s best books. From the thousands of books PW reviewed throughout 2018, the editors have picked the 100 best adult titles and 50 best titles for children and teens. The best of the best is a novel – Insurrecto by Gina Apostol – that is not yet officially published though early reviews are enthusiastically positive.
“Insurrecto actually hits shelves on November 13. But it’s a testament to how good it is that it can top the 2018 fiction crop,” reports PW’s Andrew Albanese.
Born and raised in the Philippines, Gina Apostol studied creative writing at Johns Hopkins University. A previous novel, Gun Dealer’s Daughter won the 2013 PEN/Open Book award.
“Our editors call it ‘a pyrotechnical marvel’ with a plot rooted in the Philippine-American War, unspooling over decades and across the globe, as it raises questions about class, conquest, and who gets to tell history,” Albanese tells CCC’s Chris Kenneally.
“The minute our fiction editor, Gabe Habash finished reading the book, he was convinced it was Best Books material—and he was quickly backed up by the others. Of course, Apostol’s novel is joined by a fantastic array of fiction and nonfiction titles. You really can’t go wrong with any of them, and our annual reminder of the strength of storytelling.”
Every Friday, CCC’s “Beyond the Book” speaks with the editors and reporters of “Publishers Weekly” for an early look at the news that publishers, editors, authors, agents and librarians will be talking about when they return to work on Monday.