Marikit and the Ocean of Stars
by Caris Avendaņo Cruz
Reviewed by Galen Strickland
Posted June 20, 2025
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Published three years ago, this is the debut novel of Filipina author Caris Avendaņo Cruz. I have her second book in an advance review copy from Edelweiss, but thought it best to check out her first novel before that. Both are marketed for children (or maybe Middle Grade) so I am way past the target demographic, but a good story is worthy no matter the intended audience. I won't say too much about it to avoid spoilers, but even though the characters and situations, which include tales and myths of gods, goddesses, and other spirits are from Filipino folklore, Marikit's story is similar to others you are surely familiar with. Cruz states she took some liberties with various legends, altering a few things to present Marikit's story in a unique way.
Marikit means pretty. It is the nickname given to Maria Kristina Lakandula by her tatay (father) Fidel. Marikit lives on Sampaguita Street, in Barrio Magiting. There are several Sampaguita streets in Manila, and probably many other places around the various islands, because that is the Filipino name for the national flower, jasmine. There is also a Magiting Street. That word means brave or heroic, which definitely fits Marikit, at least later in her adventures. Three years prior to the beginning of this story, Marikit's tatay and kuya (older brother) Emmanuel, were lost at sea during a severe storm. Now it is just 10-year-old Marikit and her nanay (mother) Anita, who is deaf and mute. Anita is a seamstress, renowned for making beautiful and durable garments that last. She does use a sewing machine, but also stitches by hand, which she has taught Marikit, and that dexterity of finger movements also made it easy for them to communicate through sign language. There were times late at night, or early morning, when Marikit was sure she was dreaming when she saw her nanay spinning thread from a candle's flame. She was not dreaming.
I said Marikit was 10, but it is actually about a week before that birthday in the opening scene, where she attends the birthday party of a school 'friend' from a more affluent family. Everything about Jana's party was yellow, from her beautiful party dress to decorations. All the other girls were wearing yellow too, although Marikit's might have been yellow at one time. She wore what her nanay made for her, and as usual that consisted of hand-me-down, repurposed and mended dresses. With her own birthday coming up she begs nanay to make her a beautiful, blue dress for her party. Instead, she gets what she considers a hideous dress, all patches and remnants from other garments. If she only knew nanay was looking out for her, that the dress was actually a map, and it also included a compass she would need for her banyuhay, her journey toward transformation, what other cultures might term a rite of passage, a walkabout.
Marikit is angry with her nanay and runs away, getting lost in the nearby forest. But, inexplicably, there is a door among the trees and leaves, and when she goes through that door, her banyuhay begins. In this way the story is similar to other portal fantasies. Marikit is like Dorothy landing in Oz, or Alice tumbling down a rabbit hole into Wonderland. She meets many strange and mysterious beings, and while some appear human, she is sure they are something else. Another story I thought of was the travels of Gulliver, who encountered different cultures whose traditions made no sense to him. Marikit did not believe nanay, but apparently she was destined to be a Diwata (fairy), but she had to pass the tests first. She needed to follow the map of her dress. The threads connecting the patches would glow at certain times, and the needle of the compass was supposed to point the way, but those were often confusing. Several times she went in a different direction than the compass needle indicated, but she felt that was necessary in order to help someone else she had met, one of the first being an alitaptap, a firefly.
Marikit's journey was perilous, but also rewarding in who she met and what she learned. She did grow frustrated when too many times her questions were met with, "You will learn along the way." She wanted direct answers, not ambiguous ones, but eventually realized she had to figure things out on her own or the lesson would be worthless. The Filipino pantheon of gods is similar to other cultures, a supreme being, the creator, in this case Bathala, but also many lesser gods and goddesses. Marikit meets several of them, including Apolaki, god of the sun, Mayari, goddess of the moon, and Aman Sinaya, goddess of the seas (and storms). Also many different Engkantos, enchanted creatures who could be either helpful, harmful, or merely deceitful. She incurs the wrath of the Aswangs, shape-shifters similar to werewolves. She also has to run from Aman Sinaya, and in doing so is brought before Bathala, whom she defeats in a game of sungka in order to return to Barrio Magiting (although I think he let her win). In the end she decided she would rather be with nanay rather than live as a Diwata in Kaluwalhatian (glory), aka Langit (Heaven). Whether she ever sees her Engkantos friends Ali, Juan, or Saturnina again, that will have to wait for another tale. Recommended.
Related Link:
My review of Cruz's second novel, The Boy, the Mountain, and the Serpent Who Ate the Moon.
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