It began with an unexpected phone call and a startling statement: “You don’t know me, but your mother saved my life.” The late night conversation with an American World War II veteran revealed to Elizabeth Ann Besa Quirino the untold stories of her mother’s remarkable wartime heroism and sparked a twenty-year journey of discovery about her lifelong acts of bravery and compassion. Lourdes “Lulu” Reyes Besa channeled the heartbreak of a childhood tragedy into a profound sense of compassion and service. She helped raise three brothers while still a child herself in the early years of the 20th century. Then, as a young socialite in the heydays of 1930s Manila, she focused on meaningful philanthropy and charity work. During the merciless Japanese occupation of the Philippines, Lulu embarked unflinchingly on dangerous missions to bring aid and comfort that meant the difference between life and death to countless Filipino and American prisoners of war. She continued to face personal grief and adversity in the later decades of her life but met each challenge as before – with every ounce of courage, fortitude and grace. Elizabeth Ann delved into a trove of old letters, photographs and recipes in search of the source of her mother’s courageous spirit. In Lulu’s story, she found a complex life full of joy, sorrow, selflessness and survival, and learned precious lessons about how the timeless bonds of family, the steadfast strength of faith and the power of an indomitable will can provide solace and sense in a world of uncertainty. "In Every Ounce of Courage Ms. Besa-Quirino has woven memoir, history, and culinary narrative into an engrossing account of her mother's remarkable life. I was as absorbed by Quirino's suspenseful telling of her mother's fearlessness in Japanese-occupied Manila during WWII as I was enchanted by her depictions of family life in the Philippine provinces post-War. And, I was made very hungry by her memories of the mouthwatering dishes that Ms. Quirino's mother lovingly made for her family." -Robyn Eckhardt, Food Writer, and Author, Istanbul And Beyond "Book is heart wrenching. A daughter's loving homage to her mother through the prism of family recipes that were handed down through several generations. More than that, it is a daughter's discovery of a courageous and selfless woman who saved the lives of countless prisoners-of-war during World War II in the Philippines." - Cecilia I. Gaerlan , Founder & Executive Director, Bataan Legacy Historical Society "This book is a treasury of family lore, a fond look back at a lost world. It is a human and humane encounter with greatness and kindness, the two necessarily sustaining each other; and it is a compendium of delights for the senses which is what all good food and the discussion of good food can be and should be. A labor of love, it will kindle in all who read it, a love, in return, for what it means to be a Filipino and belong to a family -the extended kind we Filipinos all uphold and defend." -Manuel L. Quezon III, Columnist, The Philippine Daily Inquirer "This book is as warm and comforting as a home-cooked meal at a family table. I savored every intimate morsel of these well-told and beautiful stories." - Ben Montgomery, author of New York Times bestselling "Grandma Gatewood's Walk" "Woven in between her family's stories is a mouthwatering description of Filipino food and recipes. I had such a unique experience reading EVERY OUNCE OF COURAGE. I was riveted, moved and inspired, and at the same time, I was hungry for dishes from my home country. I loved every page/bite." - Bren Bataclan, Author of FE, A Traumatized Son's Graphic Memoir "Only a writer, such as Elizabeth Ann Quirino, can bring to life true stories from different generations with remarkable vividness and veracity. Any food or historical nonfiction enthusiast will find Every Ounce of Courage a gem of a book." -J acqueline Chio-Lauri, picture book biographer and anthologist, author, editor of THE NEW FILIPINO KITCHEN: Stories & Recipes from around the Globe "Elizabeth Ann Quirino aims a sharp lens on World War II in the Philippines, centering the women and "Godmothers" in wartime stories that typically have only had men as heroes." - Elena Buensallido Mangahas, Filipino American National Historical Society, Lifetime Member and Museum Docen t "Growing up in Tarlac, and connections with Manila and Silay, Besa-Quirino takes us onto a culinary journey that is both heartfelt and profound. Opening past wounds of The Second World War is key to the purging of the physical and mental anguish caused by COVID19. During the pandemic, Besa-Quirino was undaunted and focused, cooking and baking her mother's recipes, channeling her mother's bravery, and wrote the accompanying essays and recipes as form of defiance against the silent enemy that loomed over us for two and a half years. Deliverance through sheer reflection, because food and mothers are sources of joy, comfort, and stre