First penned for the 1938 Commonwealth Biography contest, Carlos Quirino's The Great Malayan is a sweeping and majestic life story of the Philippine national patriot, Jose Rizal. Epic in scope, brimming with drama and insight, the novel is a masterful study of Rizal's brief but brilliant life, from Kalamba to Bagumbayan. In his book, Mr. Quirino paints the many faces of Rizal in stark and colorful hues against the tumultuous backdrop of a nation in search of its identity and ultimately, its freedom.