Journey With Lola

"She gave me a dream she never had the chance to live."

In a remote village in Northern Philippines, a poor and illiterate grandmother takes on the responsibility of raising her young granddaughter. She plants a vision in the child's heart: a better life in the United States, a place she only knows through the stories of her son. Her message is simple yet powerful-education is the key.

As the granddaughter grows, she clings to that dream, persevering through poverty, prejudice, and humiliation. But just as she begins to pursue the very future her grandmother once envisioned, everything shifts. The woman who once spoke of America with awe now cautions against it: "People become lost once they are there."

This poignant memoir traces the granddaughter's journey from a quiet village to a life across the world, as she wrestles with identity, and the lingering voice of the grandmother who raised her. A story of resilience, migration, and the complexity of generational hope, this is a powerful tribute to the dreams that shape us-and the truths we discover once we arrive.