Lola’s Girl
/Book Review
Holding On by Sophia N. Lee, Illustrated by Isabel Roxas (Simon & Schuster, 2022)
Holding On is the first Filipino picture book published by Simon & Schuster (Atheneum Imprint).
Sophia N. Lee (author) and Isabel Roxas (illustrator) grew up in the Philippines, but now call New York City their home. They recently launched Holding On at Books Are Magic, a neighborhood bookstore in Brooklyn. Books are indeed magic because this particular one transported the audience of little kids to a place they haven’t been to.
“Isabel and I were born in the Philippines,” Sophia tells them. “There it’s summer all year round!”
Holding On illustrator Isabel Roxas and author Sophia N. Lee at their book reading and signing last August 27 at Books are Magic, Brooklyn. (Photo by Claire Mercado-Obias)
They described through drawing, swaying palm trees, water buffaloes in the field, the joy of eating ripe mangoes, and drinking juice straight from a coconut. They also introduced a new word to the little ones: Lola or grandmother, the central character of the story.
It’s an autobiographical account of Sophia's memories with her own lola, ones filled with music, dancing, cooking, and storytelling. Lola really doted on her, and they kept a tight bond even as they grew older. But one day, Lola had a hard time remembering.
“My lola was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. She didn’t know who I was. She asked, who’s that girl on the couch?” Sophia reveals. In this pivotal moment, what does she do? She sings Lola’s favorite songs to her. “Music was my way of holding on,” she continues.
Isabel lent similarities of her own lola to her illustrations, saying, “I slipped my memories of her in the book — her glorious dusters (house dresses), her love for gardening, how huggable she was.”
For her illustrations, Isabel painted on paper, cut these out and assembled them into collaged vignettes, a technique that brought dimension and vibrancy to every page. They also capture slices of Filipino life: Lola’s house with capiz (mother of pearl) windows as the family gathered around singing karaoke; helping Lola water her plants using a tabo (recycled canned food container); Lola sweeping the yard with a walis tingting (coconut palm rib broom); going to the market with Lola, bayong (knitted palm leaf shopping bag) on her arm then getting caught in an afternoon rainstorm on the way home. As a reader, you’ll feel giddy delight seeing these mundane objects and situations so tied to our culture.
When working with big publishers, authors don’t typically get to choose their illustrators. But because there was a lot of interest in the manuscript, Sophia had a say on who would illustrate Holding On. It was important to her that a fellow Pinay bring her story to life, and it didn’t hurt that Isabel had a lengthy list of books crediting her as illustrator. She had not met Isabel prior to this project. “I knew of her work and had been a fan of it,” the third-time author says. "I knew I was in good hands.”
Isabel, upon receiving the manuscript, remembers, “I was floored, crying, feeling all the feels.” She immediately told her agent, “We need to do this one!" In the process, she received a lot of trust from Sophia. They have mutual respect and admiration for one another, turning this partnership into friendship that is evident during their book events. They take turns reading the book to their audience, build on each other’s insights, and thoughtfully share the spotlight.
Now that Holding On is available in bookshops, they can’t help but feel excitement and gratitude for the encouragement they’ve been receiving.
Holding On is a story that tugs at the heart, reminding everyone to make memories with our elders and to cherish them dearly. It’s also a story about two girls, one who wanted to be a writer, and another who just wanted to draw. And now they successfully do it for a living. Sophia N. Lee and Isabel Roxas — making their voices heard in New York City while buoyed by their precious memories of the Philippines.
Isabel and Sophia read Holding On to a captivated audience. (Photo by Claire Mercado-Obias)
Claire Mercado-Obias is a writer, food stylist, and pastry chef based in New Jersey. She credits her love for food and crafting to her Lola Isabel, Lola Francisca, and Lola Juana.
