An Ocean in a Cup

The novel follows Tomas, a gifted young islander, who is tormented by an unexplainable darkness. As Tomas sets out to deliver his goods across the island, the reader is exposed to Tomas s memories which surfaces to help him through his difficult times and sheds light on the origin of his dark episodes. Staged in the late 1890s, the reader is treated to vistas and scenes of island life throughout the Marianas Archipelago and the South Pacific seas. The narrative is both deep and multi-layered with observations that seek to touch the social and psychological layers of small communities throughout the Pacific. Having a true appreciation for euphony, Stephen Tenorio Jr. attempts to craft a narrative pleasant to the ear while hoping to expose the cultural dynamics of the indigenous communities of the Marianas namely, the Chamorro people in the literary context.