Emily Wallace

I grew up in the Philippines, the youngest of nine. Resilience, resourcefulness, and community were not lessons on a poster. They were how we lived. I still cook, make, write, and teach from that same place: take care of your people, and do not disappear while you do it.

Tita Em is my name for the woman I became after I crossed an ocean. I write for anyone who has left home for love and is learning a culture and a land that still feel foreign — how to keep your soul intact in marriage, in a new country, and in a house that did not start as yours. I write from a Filipina life, but the ache is not only ours. The first book is Quiet Strength. More stories live in Kwento.

I also work with my hands: leather, metal, paint, and beauty and wellness products made in my own kitchen. I teach wilderness first aid, disaster preparedness, and the quiet habit of being ready. The thread is the same in all of it. Keep your people safe. Keep your dignity. Keep going.

If you need a book, a class, a handmade piece, or a straight answer, write to me. I read what comes in. You can also find me on Instagram as @RealTitaEm.