Winner of the PEN/Open Book Award

At university in Manila, young, bookish Soledad Soliman falls in with radical friends, defying her wealthy parents and their society crowd. Drawn in by two romantic young rebels, Sol initiates a conspiracy that quickly spirals out of control. Years later, far from her homeland, Sol reconstructs her fractured memories, writing a confession she hopes will be her salvation. Illuminating the dramatic history of the Marcos-era Philippines, this story of youthful passion is a tour de force.

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Review

“In her brilliant new novel…Gina Apostol creates one of the most compelling characters in recent fiction….Soledad herself pieces the story together for us―of how bad turned to worse―and whatever one makes of it finally, she holds our attention to the last word with what is almost, yes, a writer’s sensibility and style….Apostol has given us a tour de force tale about late 20th century Manila, but Gun Dealers’ Daughter is also a book for our times.”
— Brian Collins, *LA Review of Books*

“A stunning and lyrical word-portrait of a 'martial-law baby' whose story of teenage romance and rebellion allows Apostol to braid together a wider set of issues: memory, history, language, nationalism, exile, and revolution.”
— Paul Nadal, *Public Books*

“Rich with emotion, reflection, and fervor, the story takes on an added element of revealing the struggles of Filipinos and women. While the narrative is strong, Apostol’s writing style―simple, poetic, and captivating at every point of Soledad’s journey―is the real draw….Reminiscent of Toni Morrison’s Paradise and Melissa P.’s The Scent of Your Breath, this book will appeal to readers of literary fiction.”
— Ashanti L. White, *Library Journal*

“Philippine National Book Award–winner Apostol chronicles a country in political turmoil in her vertiginous American debut…. Poetically told…Apostol offers an intriguing and significant view of Marcos-era Philippines in this complex and feverish novel.”
— Publishers Weekly

“A daring, fever dream of a novel. Gina Apostol’s writing is a substance we couldn’t once get here. Savor it, reader, now that you can.”
— Alex Gilvarry, author of *From the Memoirs of a Non-Enemy Combatant*

“Gina Apostol's novel is just what literature needed. Fresh, funny, irreverent, it won me over immediately.”
— Gary Shteyngart, author of *Super Sad True Love Story*

“There is Didion in the female protagonist with the fractured consciousness and there is Naipaul in the sharp portrait of a third world where revolution battles privilege, but Ms. Apostol performs her own unique alchemy: she fuses poetic language with a thriller story to create a mesmerizing slow-burn of a book.”
— Han Ong

“In Gun Dealers’ Daughter, Gina Apostol probes the hard truths of love, nationhood, and exile with crisp intelligence and subtle humor. Apostol is a fearless, stylish writer of substance and her American debut is long overdue.”
— Jessica Hagedorn, author of *Toxicology*

About the Author

Gina Apostol won the Philippine National Book Award for her first two novels, Bibliolepsy and The Revolution According to Raymundo Mata. She lives in New York City and western Massachusetts.

Gina Apostol

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