De La Salle University Publishing House (DLSUPH)
The Cloak of God
Translated by: Soledad S. Reyes
Published and distributed by
De La Salle University (DLSU) Publishing House, 2015
ISBN 978-971-555-583-8
The Cloak of God revolves around Felino Paras, a failed stage actor, who accidentally stumbles upon a gold mine as the founder of a mass religious movement that gives him the fame and recognition he has ardently pursued. The novel offers a critique not only of the psychological and sociological aspects of popular religiosity but also of the true meaning of salvation. In this provocative novel, the role of religious ministry in the modern world is deftly explored.
Rosario de Guzman Lingat (1924-1997) was a prolific writer whose works in several genres—the komiks, the short story, the novel—came out in the 1960s and 1970s. As Liwayway’s “star writer,” Lingat penned some of the most powerful novels that offered an unflinching examination not only of the vagaries of personal relationships but also of how history shapes human affairs. The daughter of a famous stage director/producer, Lingat framed her narratives against the never‑ending tension between what appears and what is, always with perspicacity and ironic detachment.
Soledad S. Reyes, Professor Emeritus of Interdisciplinary Studies at the Ateneo de Manila University, has published extensively on various genres—the novel, the short story, criticism, and the komiks. She has recently undertaken the task of translating selected Tagalog texts into English. Her first translation was The Gold in Makiling, a translation of Macario Pineda’s Ang Ginto sa Makiling (1947). She has also translated Rosario de Guzman’s short stories and is currently working on other key Tagalog novels.