Pines & the Promise

A historical novel of love, duty, and the long shadow of war.

From Asingan’s fields to the fires of Korea—Ben and Fina face history’s turning points.

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A historical novel of love, duty, and the long shadow of war.

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What this book is about

Love under fire: Ben Baquirin and Josefina Quirino balance duty and devotion across war and recovery.
History that breathes: PEFTOK’s 10th BCT, the night at Yultong, and the quieter battles at home.
Faith, family, class: the fault lines that shape choices—and the promise to one another and to country.
From fields to front: Asingan to Korea and back again, with memory as witness.

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Dispatches that connect scenes from the novel to today’s Philippines.

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Pines and the Promise: Synopsis

August 24, 2025

Pines and the Promise is a sweeping historical novel that follows Bienvenido “Ben” Baquirin, a barrio boy from Asingan, Pangasinan, whose journey from humble beginnings to the battlefields of two wars tests the limits of his duty, faith, and love. Raised in the Methodist tradition by his uncle and grandmother, Ben earns honors in school →