“Ilustrado”: A graphic journey into the Filipino underbelly

In a playful and ambitious work that has garnered international acclaim, author Miguel Syjuco weaves the tales of two compelling men — one a famed, personally embattled Filipino author named Crispin Salvador, and the other his young former protégé, who happens to be named Miguel Syjuco. As Miguel returns to the Philippines following Salvador’s death, his search for answers yields a haunting, surprising and bitingly satirical portrait of a nation and moment in time.