On May 21, from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m., the Creekside Community Recreation Centre in Olympic Village will host the book launch of Stumbling Through Paradise: A Feast of Mercy for Manuel del Mundo by Eleanor Guerrero-Campbell. An involving take on the settling-immigrant narrative, the novel follows the fictional Filipino family the del Mundos as they journey to Canada.

Guerrero-Campbell worked with newcomers as a founding director of the immigrant-services organization Multicultural Helping House Society, and personally observed the employment issues surrounding immigration. She met many highly educated individuals from the Philippines, India, and China who were shocked by the loss of status, income, confidence, and respect, and all despairing about the difficulty of finding jobs in their field—especially after being formally admitted into Canada because of that education. She also saw the other side, the worries of regulatory bodies and employers involved in hiring newly immigrated individuals.

The novel’s narrative is interwoven with problems, issues, and solutions surrounding chronic underemployment through three generations of del Mundos. Set in Metro Vancouver from the '80s to the present, the story is rife with racial tensions. The family comes to challenge the multicultural fabric of Canada as being inadequate—and even goes beyond with the proposal of a new multiculturalist solution.

The launch will feature an author interview segmented with readings by members of event sponsor Anyone Can Act Theatre, followed by a book sale, signing, and author Q&A. Proceeds from the launch will also benefit DALOY-PUSO, a newcomer-youth-mentoring program.

 You can see a preview of the book here.