Difficult follows the life of Etta Rosales: from childhood to motherhood; her teaching and organizing work during Martial Law; her shift into parliamentary politics; to the ongoing fight for human rights. The book weaves together the testimonies of colleagues, friends, and family to offer a rich and authentic feminist perspective into the life of the Filipina activist, honoring Etta and many other women whose struggles continue to benefit and shape future generations.
This biography does not mythologize Etta; if anything, it emphasizes her humanity in all its nuances and contradictions. Her story is a moving testament to the ongoing struggles the Filipino people continue to face. In these turbulent times, riddled with political strongmen, systemic oppression, and state violence, her story is an unflinching reminder to resist the norms and systems in place that continue to perpetuate harm and disposability of human life. It is an unflinching reminder that resistance, however stacked the odds may be, however difficult, is born out of care for one another: an act, first and foremost, of love.
Published in 2026.