Published just two years before José Rizal’s national epic, Touch Me Not, Pedro A. Paterno’s Nínay is a cultural novel that portrays Philippine society to an international non-Filipino audience.

Considered to be the first novel published by a Native Filipino author, Nínay follows the life, love and death of a young woman named Antonina Milo y Buisan, or “Nínay” for short. Her story is told by a young man named Taric to an unknown narrator over the course of the nine-day vigil of Pasiyam. Recounting the passionate affair in the time of cholera between Nínay and the highly regarded Don Carlos Mabagsic, Taric explores the journey of two young lovers and the events that lead to their eventual separation.

Professionally typeset with a beautifully designed cover, this edition of Nínay is a reimagining of a Filipino classic for the modern reader.