The Kissing: A Collection of Short Stories

Originally titled "White Turtle", "Kissing" is a collection of several short stories that are either set in the rural Philippines or Australia (with Filipino-Australian protagonists). Some criticism of / rebellion against typical Filipino-Catholic (i.e. very strict) values is evident, as are contrasts between Western life and life in the rural Philippines (particularly for women). Instead of having typical plots, Bobis' narratives focus on the characters' thoughts -- their memories, insights on their past, scenic descriptions, very detalied descriptions of food, etc. -- the writing following their stream of consciousness at times. It is very unique writing because of this. Many of the events are also strange (some completely weird such as one story which appears to be a diary of dreams), but Bobis pieces them together effectively and writes with such confidence that the end product is very entertaining and refreshing.