Today, I’m chatting with the author of Multo! It looks like it really has the thought to examine the problems of the immigration system in the US. Especially from the main character’s position of power, to realize the harm that he’s doing, I’m eager to see how he comes to the realization. It’s so difficult to live in a country that you are unwelcome in when it’s the only country that you know. And so many of us are caught up in trying to fit in that it takes far too long to realize that they will never fully welcome us.
Bookish Brews Snapshot
Multo by Cindy Fazzi
A Filipino American bounty hunter seeks the only quarry that has ever eluded him in between writing an irreverent advice book for immigrants and critiquing the broken U.S. immigration system.
📖 Couldn't Put It Down ⏱️ Fast Paced 📚 First in Series 🧠Immigrant Experience
- Genre: Mystery
Interview with Cindy Fazzi
Amanda: Can you tell us what you’re most proud of about Multo?
Cindy Fazzi: The bounty hunter in pop culture is usually a white man, whether it’s Clint Eastwood in the Western classic For a Few Dollars More or Robert De Niro in the widely popular Midnight Run or Dog the Bounty Hunter in the hit reality TV show. Multo reimagines the trope by introducing a brown immigrant bounty hunter, perhaps the first in the thriller genre. I’m proud to introduce something fresh.Â
Amanda: What is the most important thing you hope that readers get from this story?
Cindy: First, I want to introduce readers to Filipino American literary characters. There are so few of them in books. Second, I hope readers get a better understanding of what it means to be an immigrant in this country today, whether legal or undocumented. For many immigrants of color, regardless of status, feeling wanted and accepted in their adopted country is a fundamental desire. It drives their goals and ambitions, but it also causes them a lot of pain, especially when they are told time and again, in so many ways, that they don’t belong here.Â
Amanda: What are some of the themes you worked to tackle in Multo?Â
Cindy: The main theme of the book is the pursuit of the American Dream from the perspective of both a legal immigrant and an undocumented immigrant. Multo, meaning ghost in Tagalog, features two main characters. Monica is a biracial Filipina who overstays in the U.S. to look for her American father, an Air Force general who doesn’t know she exists. The general is bent on avoiding a political scandal, so he hires Domingo, a Filipino American bounty hunter, to nab Monica and take her to immigration authorities for deportation. But Monica can disappear like a ghost. The book pits a dogged bounty hunter against a desperate woman in hiding. They’re in this country to pursue their dreams, which happen to be on a collision course.
Amanda: Are you a part of any writing groups or communities? How have they helped you in your writing and in your publishing journey?
Cindy: I first attended the San Francisco Writers Conference in 2018. I met the publisher of my historical novel, My MacArthur, at the conference. I’m very grateful for that. In 2022, I returned to the conference as a volunteer, as my way of paying it forward. I also participate in the group’s Discord forum. In addition, I’m a member of these online writing communities: Crime Writers of Color, International Thriller Writers, Authors Guild, and Sisters in Crime. Writing is such a solitary activity. Online groups keep me connected. I get to meet some of my fellow members in person when I attend writing conferences.
