The House of the Spirits meets Mexican Gothic in a tale of love and betrayal, belonging and exile, and the supernatural forces that pervade life in the Philippines.

The Secrets of the House are the Secrets of the Heart.

It begins with an act of betrayal that destroys the tenuous bonds of Celestina Errantes’s family. For years after, Celestina longs for an escape from her unhappy home. Then an unexpected gift from her wealthy Lolo offers that chance: a long-forsaken property in Manila’s bohemian district, close to where ladies of the evening ply their trade. It is no place for a proper young woman, but this house, even with its ghosts, makes Celestina feel at home.

Celestina tears into life as a wild child and loses herself in the pleasures of the night. Many bittersweet experiences later, she grows up and captivates an aristocratic restaurateur, who holds the promise to a fresh start, in a home without ghosts.

Then a sinister voice from the past threatens to drive the storybook lovers apart forever.

A RARE MACHINES BOOK (An imprint of Dundurn Press)

US and Canada
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A COUNTRY. A HOUSE. A HEART.
HAUNTED.

"This novel is a love letter to my islands, to its beauty and romance, as well as its horrors." 
Clarissa Trinidad Gonzalez
"Transporting us to a Manila of dark romance and ghosts, Clarissa Gonzalez's Celestina's House is a gothic that reminds us how the past is never wholly escapable, never quiet. 

Rich and sweeping and literally haunting."
--Andrew Pyper, Bestselling Author of
The Residence and The Demonologist

"Celestina's House is a glorious, fulfilling read. Gonzalez has written a beautiful and engaging page-turner, but one that will have you lingering on every word."
--Thom Ernst, Author of Wild Boy of Waubamik, Former Host/Producer Saturday Night at the Movies

“Clarissa Trinidad Gonzalez’s writing embodies a uniquely Filipino style of storytelling that seamlessly combines the real with the surreal. This is a rich, dark, and singular story of haunted love and incurable loss you won’t soon forget.”
--Cindy Fazzi, author of Multo and My MacArthur 

"With a lush, tropical setting, an entrancing protagonist, and swirling ghosts that guide and subvert, Clarissa Trinidad Gonzalez has crafted a darkly romantic, immersive world. This richly-imagined novel propels both Filipino and Canadian literature forward into exciting new territory."
--Jennilee Austria-Bonifacio, author of Reuniting with Strangers

"A ravishing and astonishing achievement for debut novelist Clarissa Trinidad Gonzalez."
--Patria Rivera, finalist, Trillium Poetry Book Award, and co-editor, Magdaragat: An Anthology of Filipino-Canadian Writing



Asia-Pacific Readers,
including the Philippines,
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About Me
"I was born on Halloween, which probably explains a lot, and I grew up in Metro Manila, steeped in my family’s colourful personalities and stranger-than-fiction stories. 

I studied in Catholic schools, from kindergarten up to university. I developed a love for philosophy, modern classics and drama at university. I'm very grateful for the formation these schools have given me. I tend to go to dark places in my writing, but I do so with the light of my faith (imperfect as it may be) and a good moral compass. 

I also worked in the advertising industry, honing my craft as a copywriter in various multinational ad agencies, and later became Associate Creative Director at Great Wall Advertising. 

I spent a good part of my twenties trekking around the Philippines, sampling regional food, and experiencing the hospitality of my fellow Filipinos from Batanes to Mindanao.

I moved to Canada in the mid-nineties, met my spouse, and worked 
as a a technical designer for the Hudson's Bay Company. I now work in Communications, writing for special events. I studied creative writing at the University of Toronto, with novelists Kim Echlin and Helen Humphreys, and published some poetry in journals, as well as online publications. 

My spouse, Paul, remains my first and best reader.
When I'm not writing, I keep the memories of Philippine kitchens alive in my cozy, richly-coloured casa in leafy South Etobicoke, where I cocoon with my spouse and daughter as we plot our next family adventure."

Past Events

TitleDateLocation
Celestina's House Book Launch Party-Toronto LITUP05 Oct 2024Centre for Social Innovation-Spadina - 192 Spadina Avenue, Toronto
Toronto International Festival of Authors-Rally the Tropes Panel (Free Event)22 Sep 2024235 Queens Quay West, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Toronto International Festival of Authors--Finding Spaces of Comfort22 Sep 2024235 Queens Quay West, Toronto, ON
CBC Books - 64 Canadian Fiction Books to Read in Fall 2024

CBC Books - 64 Canadian Fiction Books to Read in Fall 2024

06/09/2024

Celestina's House among the new Canadian novels CBC Books is excited about this Fall.

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Toronto Lit Up-Books This Season

Toronto Lit Up-Books This Season

12/04/2024
Mabuhay Canada

Mabuhay Canada

21/03/2024
Deal Announcement

Deal Announcement

19/06/2023

Dundurn Press President and Publisher Kwame Scott Fraser and Publishing assistant Julia Kim have jointly acquired world rights to Clarissa Trinidad Gonzalez's debut novel, CELESTINA'S HOUSE. In this magic realist novel, Celestina Errantes unexpectedly inherits a long-forsaken, haunted house in Manila's bohemian district. As she escapes to a new life and finds love, family secrets and voices from the past threaten her happiness, forcing her to face the evil in her house. Available in Fall 2024.

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Beauty and art have always been part of the Catholic tradition. I grew up surrounded by Catholic images and iconography, and that aesthetic has continued to inform and inspire my works, both visual and written. Check out some of my poetry and design works below. 

Sign up and be the first to know about book signings, readings, or giveaways. Or send me a message if you have any questions. Thanks for dropping by! I'd love to hear from you. 

A Visual Blog

A Video Inspired by the Creatures of Celestina's House and Thoughts on My Creative Process.

I used to be a copywriter, then a clothing designer after that, so there's a strong graphic and kinetic component to my creative process. I find that doing something active like cooking or decorating, or something visual, like these videos and mood boards, energizes my writing.  My day job also involves a lot of writing, so this visual form of blogging brings balance to my process. 

While a lot of my work is mental and cerebral, I ultimately think it's unhealthy to live exclusively in your head, like so many do these strange, strange days. I'm prone to bouts of solitude, and I obviously spend a lot of time building worlds and characters in my imagination. However, I believe in staying grounded and tethered to reality. Authors, academics, creators of all stripes, like everyone, should live in the real world with all its drudgeries and occasional joys. I'm not talking about the limited, materialist, mechanistic world posited by dogmatic atheists and some nihilistic types. I'm talking about a reality that embraces matters beyond the tangible and measurable--the spiritual realities that are written in us and around us and are present to anyone who has chosen not to be blind to them.

Enjoy my midnight moodboards, dear readers. Now, get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning.

p.s. Being a creator myself, I understand how much labour goes into works of art. The images are curated from Pinterest and other open source outlets, and as such often have no credits.  I take the time to do my own image search to find the name of the creator.  The Lucifer drawing seen at the end of the video is by artist Guy Denning. The sculpture of the Batibat (Bangungot) is by Ian Balba via DeviantArt.  I'm unable to find the name of the artist who did the opening drawing, but I'll let you know when I find out. 

Every grand idea begins life as a seed. With the right conditions 
and nurturing, and God's grace, a spark may ignite and a beautiful idea 
may burst forth and enter the world through you. 

Strive to be a worthy vessel. 




UK and Europe Readers
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