13 Months in Malesso’ captures a distinctly CHamoru sense of time and place, and beautifully illustrates the many ways in which the island of Guam nourishes and sustains its people. The book tells the story of how CHamoru ancestors in the Mariana Islands marked time using the phases of the moon and the important seasons in their lives. Months were named to describe seasonal weather and the best times to fish, plant, and harvest food. The book also explores how just like their ancestors, the Barcinas girls – Lole’, Lia, Rita, Arisa, and Ha’åne’ – mark time using the seasons of their beautiful village of Malesso’ in southern Guam.
Author: Dolores Barcinas Santos
Illustrator: Jessica Perez-Jackson
Format: Hardcover, 32 pages
Publishers: Taiguini Books, University of Guam Press