Lola Naty and Her Dog Carter
My Dog Carter was written by Lola Naty Ladores at age 94 years old. It’s the first of “The Lola Naty Series” of books. The illustrations by Reyibo Gamos are reminiscent of drawings in elementary school textbooks, a nod to a simpler time.
Little Naty and Carter’s relationship formed indelible core memories and initiated her love for dogs. She had a dog during every stage of her life and owned 22 in total. At age 94, she wrote the children’s book, My Dog Carter. She still got to see a mock-up of the book before she passed away in January 2024.
Lola Naty wouldn’t have been an author if not for her daughter, Minnie Young.
Minnie says, “I initiated this project since I was Mom’s full-time caregiver. When I was growing up, I remember her telling me often that she wanted to be a writer. Her teacher was really encouraging her, but her family did not think it was practical saying, writers go hungry.”
“At first, I wanted to write her biography, so I started interviewing her, being careful to record her exact words. I typed as she spoke, and I had a few videotapes of our sessions. Since I started out as a kindergarten teacher, I really loved picture books. I later learned that memoirs come in different forms. I thought it would be great to capture her story as a picture book. She always told me about Carter whom she really loved. They were together until he died at age 14.”
The first draft was finished in 2020 and My Dog Carter was finally published in September 2024, the process taking about eight months. Minnie first learned about publishing by attending conferences for teachers.
“I have assisted a former professor to get his story self-published, so that gave me some hands-on experience. I learned that Amazon is a good option for beginners, so I went that way. To publish on Amazon, you must set up an account with Kindle Direct Publishing. I kept learning one step at a time. I also signed up for online courses to understand Kindlepreneur (marketing for self-published books), Kindle Publishing Income, and Kindle Create for the eBook version. I learned that selecting "Premium" over "Standard" allows physical copies of the book to be printed even if the book only has 24 pages (“Standard” requires a minimum of 72 pages). There was a lot of trial and error, but the highlight was seeing a final copy,” adds Minnie.
Her goal was to have a finished book by Lola Naty’s birthday in December 2023. She didn’t quite make it, but she had a photobook printed through CVS Pharmacy. On Lola Naty’s birthday, she presented the book to her. Delighted, Lola Naty read it page after page, saying, “Tama ‘yan, tama ‘yan” (That’s right, that’s right). She even underlined her name on the cover of the book with her forefinger.”
“It’s a very special memory. As I was working on her stories, I learned what an active, adventurous child she was, how fun-loving, and how loving she was. In her 80s, she once told me, with a tone of exasperation, how her hands won’t do what she wants them to do. I realized how it must have been for her as aging set in, but she didn’t say anything about it anymore, maintaining a cheerful attitude through and through.
Lola Naty Ladores (center) surrounded by her family. She always reminded them to “Pray without ceasing." Left to Right: John Young (son-in-law), Minnie Young (daughter), Vii Lederer (granddaughter), Annie Biteng (daughter), Elena Kawanaka (great-granddaughter), Silver Biteng, Jr. (son-in-law), Luna (great-granddaughter), Veralynn Kawanaka (granddaughter). Mrs. Naty Ladores is seated in the middle. (Photo courtesy of Silver Biteng, Jr.)
Minnie wanted her Lola to see her name as author, and to capture her stories for all the people who love her. Aside from family, Lola Naty had many friends of all ages. “Many of my own friends considered her their second mom, especially the ones who have lost their own mothers when they were young. I also want to contribute to Filipino American literature. Do you know that there are no Tagalog-English books in my own local library? I am planning to donate a few books there,” Minnie adds.
Family is often the biggest critic and My Dog Carter has received glowing reviews. “Lola Naty was a great storyteller,” says grandson Tony Biteng. “I always loved listening to her stories about her life in the Philippines and her memories. I’m so happy that we have one final story, in English and Tagalog, that gets to be shared with the world,”.
“I have been telling all my friends that my Lola Naty published a children’s book,” says great grandson Landon Biteng. “They all think it’s so cool. The book is really great! It’s so nice to have a story from her childhood,”
Lola Naty is survived by her three children, Annie, Minnie, and Dave, her grandchildren, and great grandchildren that she shared with her husband, Senen Ladores, who passed away in 2004. They were once seatmates in elementary school, but after the war and relocation, they only reunited in their college years.
The stories of Lola Naty Ladores will be passed on from generation to generation through her book, “My Dog Carter.” In this photo are Lola Naty’s granddaughter Veranne and daughter Annie. (Photo courtesy of Tony Biteng)
Minnie recalls the abrupt decision leading to her parents’ wedding, “In the 1950s there was a widespread fear, a mass hysteria of magdidilim (it’s going to grow dark). People were buying salt (to shield them from evil spirits) and candles (to protect them in darkness) in preparation for this apocalyptic-like event. In the midst of this craziness, my dad proposed to my mom, saying if it’s the end of the world, he’d like them to be married. They got married in January 1950. It turned out that magdidilim was really just an eclipse.”
Lola Naty survived dark times, literal and figurative. She was in fifth grade when the Japanese occupied the Philippines and World War II, ending when she was 16 years old. Throughout this time, she continued her studies, graduating from the Philippine Women’s University with a Bachelor of Science in Home Economics degree. Then she pursued the call of teaching.
When Mount Pinatubo erupted in 1991, the family home in Olongapo City was destroyed. Even at 71 years old, Lola Naty contributed to rebuilding the city she loved by what she loved doing. Together with her children, they founded a private school called the Learning Circle. She would always say, “My dream is to educate the future leaders of tomorrow,” and this remains to be the school’s mission statement. In 2023, Learning Circle became a Leader-in-Me school and a member of the Franklin Covey Education network.
At 87 years old, Lola Naty immigrated to the United States where Minnie was already based. She often said to Minnie, “I used to cry a lot because you’re so far. Now I’m very happy that we are together here.” She also got to spend time with her grandchildren and great grandchildren. At age 93, she became a US citizen. At age 95, Lola Naty passed away in Virginia.
“This book really showcases her love for animals and highlights her passion for literacy,” says Crystal Biteng, Lola Naty’s granddaughter-in-law. Lola Naty Ladores' grandkids and great grandkids: Crystal, Emelina, Elena, Veranne, Veralynn, Landon, Luna, daughter Annie, Anthony. (Photo courtesy of Tony Biteng)
“I am glad that there’s a part of her that the future generations in our family will get to know through her stories, this very optimistic person who can continue inspiring us to make the most of our lives. I just wish we had more time so she could have seen the other books in the series. I console myself with the knowledge that I often shared my plans with her, of what the next stories would be. She also saw the first draft of the second book,” Minnie says fondly.
Family is often the biggest critic and My Dog Carter has received glowing reviews. “Lola Naty was a great storyteller,” says grandson Tony Biteng.
For those who want to embark on a similar family project to preserve memories, Minnie only has encouraging words:
“Go for it. It’s important. It may not seem much at first, but it will mean so much later on. Get on it sooner because it takes time. We never know how much time we have, so start early. Give your family this gift of a legacy project that will be treasured. It will also help the future generations feel a connection to the past, and hopefully give them a sense of belonging.”
“One of the biggest challenges is finding the time. We all have so much to do in a day. But a little each time will go a long way towards finishing a whole project. Capture what you can each day.”
Claire Mercado-Obias is a writer, food stylist and pastry chef based in New Jersey.
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