Updated Review - July 2026:

It had been the truth, and Hero hadn’t cherished it enough at the time. I’m here. If you need me. A year later, the world had ended. She wouldn’t make that same mistake again.

This was my third time picking up America Is Not the Heart, this time for a readalong orchestrated by someone I follow on bookstagram, and I’m extremely glad that I made the time to do so. Doing a paced reading throughout the entire month urged me to take things slower than I otherwise would have, allowing me to soak In and savor it more. My third read of this book allowed me to connect even more deeply with the text and further cemented its place as one of my favorites.

America might not be the heart, but Elaine Castillo’s debut is absolutely full of heart, emotion, and the human experience. It is a book that I hold close, and is one that I have thought about constantly through the years and will no doubt continue to do so. It’s difficult to put into words what this book means to me and I struggle to express myself in reviews, but I will give it my best because I love this book immensely.

America Is Not the Heart spans three generations of women from one family, who grapple with the broken promise of the so-called “American dream” and the history that has stayed with them despite crossing oceans. After ten years of serving as a doctor for the revolutionary New People’s Army and being disowned by her parents, Hero De Vera comes to Milpitas, California to stay with her uncle and aunt. While her aunt Paz supports the family by working two nursing jobs, Hero takes care of her younger cousin. Through caring for Roni, Hero is introduced to a group of Filipino American friends who take her in to their close-knit circle.

I often say that I will read anything Castillo writes, and her debut is no exception. In fact, it’s what made me fall in love with her writing in the first place. Castillo’s writing is stunning and visceral, unflinching and tender. She has such a way of capturing human emotions that can feel like a punch to the gut or having your face cupped gently in someone’s hands in equal turns.

Castillo writes with such a deep authenticity to her characters and their experiences, allowing the reader to feel and go through things along with them. It makes stepping into Hero’s story engulf you like a wave, but one that is embracing rather than one that will leave you struggling for air. Though at times the book might leave you gasping or bereft with the magnitude of feeling. Despite their flaws, or maybe because of how human it makes them, the characters are lovable and whole, full of depth and many facets.

The book might feel a bit slower-paced, but I enjoy the glimpses it gives into Hero’s day-to-day as she adjusts to life in California and builds relationships with those around her. I personally love that the dialogue includes English, Tagalog, Ilocano, and Pangasinan and didn’t mind having to look up words. It made me feel more immersed in the story with its tapestry of languages and the people who spoke them, reminiscent of being part of a multilingual community in real life.

Another thing I love is that Castillo does not shy away from writing about the real-life issues and struggles Filipinos face, both in the homeland and abroad as migrants. So much of what she included in the book rang true to what I have learned and stories I have heard in real life. The horrors of empire persist in the Philippines, with the massacre of 19 people in Toboso, Negros this past April (one of numerous massacres carried out by the Armed Forces of the Philippines against the Filipino people), plans under the Pax Silica initiative to build a 4,000-acre industrial hub in Luzon as big as 25 Disneylands, US military presence, ongoing displacement and harassment of indigenous Aeta communities, Israeli tourists invading Siargao, the fascist son of a dictator as the current president, and more.

But the people continue fighting back! The New People’s Army marked its 57th founding anniversary this year, on the 29th of March 2026! On July 14, 2026 around 3,000 Aetas from five barangays (barangay is kind of like a neighborhood/district) marched in Capas, Tarlac to protest the land grabbing of their ancestral lands and ongoing harassment at the hands the Philippine Air Force (PAF)! Protests against Marco Rubio, the US war machine, and Pax Silica. President Marcos Jr losing his bid for the UN Security Council seat in large part thanks to widespread outcry and the people speaking up against it. Hero’s commitment to serving her people and fighting for liberation is something I think about constantly.

America Is Not the Heart can be considered a family saga, but it is also much more, containing elements of history, exploration of identity, and love of all sorts. I may be biased, but I think there is something valuable and meaningful in it for everyone. Anything Castillo writes in the future, I will be eager to get my hands on. My heart feels incredibly full and buoyed for having read this again. I’m filled with gratitude that this book exists.

Content warnings: (with the help of Storygraph because I couldn't remember them all) Graphic: sexual content, torture, injury Moderate: death, homophobia, violence, US imperialism, colonization Minor: pedophilia, rape, deportation

Original Review - December 2024: it’s been a little over 5 years since i first read this book and i love it so much more the second time around. being more knowledgeable about the social conditions/issues of the philippines and for filipino migrants abroad, and having developed my political consciousness further, i was able to make more connections with the text and get much more out of the story. it resonated even more deeply for me now knowing about the protracted people’s war and fight for genuine democracy in the philippines, and struggles against semi-feudalism and landlessness. highly recommend to anyone wanting to learn more.
 castillo writes with such authenticity to her characters and experiences. i enjoyed reading the progression of rosalyn being able to explore and embrace her queerness, and how hero is so unapologetically bisexual.
 also, i love reading stories set in the bay area. castillo’s love for the bay really shines through in the text. thoughts are still marinating, but truly loved this book and so glad i decided to reread!