Literary Executive Review: Lourdes “Lulu” R. Mercado, “We Got You Back”

by ReadersMagnet | September 25, 2025 | Literary Executive Review | 0 Comments

Being Filipino myself, I admit to having a sense of kinship when I discover an author who is also a fellow Filipino.

It’s no different when I read We Got You Back: Heaven Can Wait by Miss Lulu Mercado. When I read her background, I found it very similar to the lives of so many other successful Filipino migrants (the ones we call OFWs at home). She started out small as an accountant in Universal Studios, but then strived onward and upward as a working parent to become a successful real estate broker.

It is a story that I hear about a lot, but I find it so motivating every time. So, when I was reading through her book, this familiarity just made me appreciate the whole thing more.

Still, there are other aspects of this book that also make it stand out, and I’m excited to cover them in this review.

The Incident Behind the Title

It may not seem evident on the cover, but the title of the book is deliberately written that way for a very good reason. Lulu opens her story with a very harrowing experience that landed her in the hospital. It’s surprisingly graphic even!

Still, the words that the doctor told her really stuck with her: “We got you back.” And really, I think that sums a good deal of the book’s theme, as well as the kind of message Miss Lulu is sharing in her book. She is a fighter who has endured a lot (including three cancers as well as the loss of her husband to similar health complications). Even before going further into the book, I had a strong sense of her determination to keep on living.

Spirituality and Second Chances at Life

It took a while to digest, but I realized the very first chapter was describing a near-death experience, and Lulu was setting up readers to see how that came to impact the rest of her life.

Now, I’ve encountered my fair share of authors who have dedicated themselves to the topic. However, We Got You Back stands out because it doesn’t talk about visions or hearing voices of loved ones after the experience. Even when she talks about religious themes, she doesn’t dwell on that. Instead, she focuses on wanting to make the most of her second chance at life and finding a stronger sense of purpose.

And, as with a lot of Filipino life stories, I was touched by the way family ties were playing such a prominent role in the author’s life. We are very proud of our family-focused culture, and it really shows in this book. Lulu’s children are described as still always being in touch with each other and helping their mom in her recovery, as well as supporting her in publishing her book.

I’m proud to say that I still see this in many Filipino families (both at home and abroad). I’m really glad this book also highlights that.

A Story That Also Shines a Light on Others

While on the subject of family, the order of the book’s chapters also reflects this in its own little way. After briefly talking about her near-death experience, Lulu then goes back and gives a bit of a genealogy. She had expressly written that the book was also a gift to her children, grandchildren, and beyond, so that they would know more about where they came from.

She dedicates a chapter to her parents, as well as how she was brought up. And then, she talks about her husband and eventually how she bore each of her children.

It’s also very interesting to read about her experiences working alongside other Filipino immigrants. A lot of us who work abroad are also really proud of the networks we make with each other. Because in a way, we treat these as extensions of family ties, and it shows how much we’re always willing to work together.

A Lifetime Example of Filipino Resilience

So at this point, I should say that the amount of detail in this book is actually quite staggering, even though it is just 70 pages. Lulu really has a way of telling her story and describing her journey in full, but all with just the right amount of words.

An example would be the way she spent a part of her career during the financial crisis of 2008. Since she was a real estate broker at the time, she and her firm definitely felt the massive brunt of it. But, true to her own values and to the message in the book, she shares these experiences to emphasize how determined they were to endure the hardships.

We see the same message again when she brings up the topic of the three different cancers that she also had to survive.

There is a lot of talk these days about how resilience is always such a common motif for Filipinos. Personally, I really think it’s one of our most important values, and I praise Lulu’s book for continuing that tradition.

Little Details That Are Both Helpful and Highlighting

There are many little details in the book that are also worth noting. One of the most difficult challenges that Lulu faced in her life was the loss of her husband. And while she still stays on the topic of staying strong, she even includes a handy little guide about stroke so that others can actually respond better to the signs.

In another part of the book, where she talks more about her personal religious beliefs, she has another little guide for when talking to others about faith.

The family pictures that she includes here are another nice touch. They give color to the whole story she is sharing (which is really not just her story, but also of her whole family).

Put together with the rest of the book, you get this very impressive, organic flow. She shares her life story while at the same time still offering more ways to help readers.

What This Book Will Leave Behind

You know, some days I wish people would appreciate memoirs a lot more. It shouldn’t just be the ones about famous people. Even books like We Got You Back can offer a lot to any reader who finds them. Lulu has a message that can really offer encouragement to people who are currently faced with so much difficulty, whether it’s from cancer, financial crashes, or loss.

Yet more than that, memoirs help paint more details into the wide fabric of history. Imagine you are a researcher wanting to learn more about the Filipino diaspora. Do you think checking the usual history books is enough? Why stop there?

Why not also check out stories like the ones shared by Lulu? Their story is still a long, incredible life journey with unique chapters, trials, failures, and successes. They can provide further verification of things that have happened, what people did to survive and thrive.

And naturally, we cannot neglect the cultural values that these stories are also passing on. Telling stories, publishing them in books, and getting them into the hands of the next generation has always been the longstanding way these values are passed on.

Thus, it has been wonderful seeing all of that as I read Lulu’s story.Want to read We Got You Back: Heaven Can Wait in all its incredible details? You can find the book available at both Amazon and Barnes & Noble.