Babaylan's betrayal

Abstract

Babaylan’s Betrayal is the first part of a planned novel. It is a YA urban-fantasy narrative set in Los Angeles that draws from Filipino myth and folklore but also reflects the diversity of the contemporary California city. Hilaya is a high school Filipino student. When her mom disappears in a mysterious crime, Hilaya finds out that her mom was a babaylan (shaman) who fled the Philippines to protect her daughter. Hilaya's mother tricked an anito, Ulan, into her service and brought him to America when they immigrated, although he ran away from the family and has been living on his own for years. Together Hilaya and Ulan attempt to find out what happened to their beloved family member.