In the opening pages of Maria J. Ryerson’s powerful novel, Survival Instincts, the protagonist, a beauty therapist named Sophia, makes a poignant observation: “Everyone’s face tells a story.” This statement serves as a perfect entry point into a narrative that is, itself, a deeply etched map of resilience, sacrifice, and the fierce love that binds a family across generations. Presented as a novel based on true events, the story weaves together the romantic past of Sophia’s parents with her own harrowing journey, creating a testament to the unbreakable will to survive for the sake of family.
A Foundation of Forbidden Love
The story begins not with Sophia, but with her mother, Miranda. In a series of tender moments following her father Horacio’s death, Miranda recounts to Sophia the tale of their whirlwind courtship. It’s a classic narrative of forbidden love: a beautiful young woman, promised to a wealthy suitor, instead falls for an older, charismatic teacher. Their love, sealed with a secret pinky-lock through a hole in the floorboards, culminates in a dramatic elopement across the Philippine islands.
This foundational love story establishes the central theme of the book: the extreme lengths one will go to for love and family. Miranda’s choice to defy her parents and flee into the unknown with Horacio sets a precedent of courage and sacrifice that her daughter will inherit and embody in even more drastic ways. Their early struggles—a perilous ferry journey that ends in shipwreck, the heartbreaking loss of a child, and the tension with Horacio’s skeptical mother—forge a resilient family unit, bound by devotion and a relentless work ethic.
Sophia’s Crucible: Ambition and Betrayal
As the narrative shifts to Sophia’s perspective, the tone darkens. A bright and ambitious young woman, Sophia dreams of becoming a doctor or nurse to lift her family out of poverty. Her determination leads her to Manila for university, a move that severs her from her beloved family and plunges her into a world of grueling hardship.
To pay for her education, she endures exploitation by relatives, working as an unpaid nanny and housekeeper. Her resourcefulness leads her to a job at a cockfighting arena, where she eventually runs her own lucrative liquor stall. It is here she meets the brothers who will alter her life forever: the charming Ruben and his older, predatory brother, Roscoe.
Sophia’s life takes a devastating turn on her 18th birthday when Roscoe, exploiting her trust and her drunken state, brutally rapes her. The graphic and harrowing account of the assault and its aftermath is a central, gut-wrenching pillar of the story. Trapped by financial need and societal shame, Sophia is forced into a toxic, multi-year relationship with her rapist, who controls her through money and intimidation. She becomes pregnant, is coerced into an abortion she later grieves deeply, and eventually gives birth to a daughter, Holly Belle Rose, in a remote village under dramatic circumstances.
Sophia’s story is a stark portrayal of a woman navigating a “purely dishonest and immoral society,” where her survival instincts are constantly tested. She makes difficult, often heartbreaking choices, not for herself, but to protect her daughter and provide for her family back home.
Escape and Endurance in a Foreign Land
In a final bid for freedom and financial independence, Sophia accepts a nursing job in Hong Kong. This new chapter offers hope but also new perils. She escapes the clutches of Roscoe only to face the predatory advances of two new male authority figures: her sponsor, Mr. Cervantes, and her employer, Mr. King. The cycle of exploitation and assault repeats itself, highlighting the vulnerability of migrant women.
Yet, in Hong Kong, Sophia’s resilience hardens. She works tirelessly, holding multiple jobs, and slowly begins to reclaim her agency. Her relationship with Mr. Cervantes evolves into a complex, tense arrangement of mutual need and cautious truce. Her ultimate decision to confess her secrets to him marks a turning point—a first step in unburdening her soul and confronting her past.
The Ties That Bind: Family as the Ultimate Motive
Throughout every trial, the constant, driving force in Sophia’s life is her family. The memory of her parents’ unwavering love and her father’s advice to “never give up until you have made your wishes come true” fuels her ambition. The love for her daughter, Holly, gives her a reason to endure the unendurable. Every peso she earns is sent home, every sacrifice is made with her siblings’ education and her parents’ well-being in mind.
The novel beautifully contrasts the two generations: Miranda’s sacrifice was for a love she chose, while Sophia’s sacrifices are for the family that love created. The title, Survival Instincts, thus reveals its deeper meaning. It is not merely about physical survival, but about the instinct to preserve and protect one’s family at all costs, even at the expense of one’s own happiness, safety, and innocence.
Conclusion: A Story of Scars and Strength
Survival Instincts is more than a memoir-like novel; it is a raw and unflinching exploration of female endurance. It is a story about the scars we bear, both visible and emotional, and the strength we discover in the face of unimaginable adversity. From the fragrant Sampaguita flowers of a rural Philippine courtship to the cold, glittering skyline of Hong Kong, Maria J. Ryerson takes readers on an epic journey that is both heartbreaking and profoundly inspiring. It is the story of a woman who, against all odds, kept the promise she made to herself: to survive, to provide, and to ensure that the next generation would have a better story to tell.#
