Kaisa Aquino's award-winning novel, 'Isabela,' a National Book Award winner for Best Novel in English, offers a unique and experimental exploration of the province of Isabela and the women who inhabit it. Through a tapestry of interconnected narratives that intentionally create reader confusion, Aquino weaves together realist and surrealist elements to depict the multifaceted realities of the province, from its natural beauty and political landscapes to its revolutionary movements. The novel, born from Aquino's master's thesis at UP Diliman and inspired by her own upbringing in Isabela, delves into the unseen ways women have shaped and been shaped by these historical and social forces, highlighting both individual struggles and shared experiences.