“Beneath the Banyan Tree” is a daughter’s personal account of her family’s story through four generations and a turbulent era. The tale begins during the Spanish colonial period, and continues through the Philippine Revolution, the violent struggle and pacification by the Americans, the gradual evolution of a nation’s democratic structure interrupted by the tragedy of the Second World War, and the final triumph of independence. It is also the personal story of a family, told simply, with candor and affection.