A resident of Alameda recently published her debut novel, a folktale titled The Hour of Daydreams. Renee Macalino Rutledge is a Filipina originally from Manila, but she has been a resident of the Bay Area since childhood. Her plethora of work experience includes serving as editor at Ulysses Press in Berkeley. She has had her articles published in ColorLines, San Francisco Bay Guardian, The East Bay Monthly, Parents’ Press and many more. She graduated from UC Berkeley, receiving her bachelor of arts in English; followed by a master of fine arts in English and creative writing from Mills College.

The Hour of Daydreams is stunningly retold with such imagery the words seem to lift off of the page. Rutledge has created a story woven through with marriage, mystery, family and identity. 
The story follows Manolo Lualhati and Tala, a prominent doctor and his wife in the Filipino countryside. He works himself into a frenzy after suspicions of dishonesty from Tala. The author spins the different perspectives of Tala’s family members and the people she is surrounded by to create a masterful debut novel. The prospect of finding the elusive truth makes for a compelling read. 

The author will be at Books Inc., 1344 Park St., on Tuesday, March 14, at 7 p.m. for the launch of her novel.