The Man in the McIntosh Suit

Though Bobot has a law degree, the only work he is able to find upon emigrating to the U.S. in 1929 is picking fruit in rural California. He’s estranged from his wife, Elysia, whom he left behind in the Philippines, so it’s a shock when he receives a letter from his cousin saying that Elysia is now living in San Francisco’s Manilatown. Determined to reconnect with his wife, Bobot swipes a fellow worker’s prized McIntosh suit and heads to the city. His search for Elysia leads him through a succession of cafes, pool halls, seedy dive bars, luxurious speakeasies, and finally to La Estrella, a glamorous nightclub performer known as the Pearl of the Philippines. She and Bobot form an unexpected bond, and she claims to have information as to his wife’s whereabouts, but he’s not sure if he can trust her. Might she be luring Bobot into a scheme concocted by the vicious gangster who owns the nightclub where she performs?