Rather than a singular narrative with characters and a central plot, the book compiles light, accessible, yet highly educational historical essays (historietas) focused on the hidden nuances of the Philippine past. Ocampo utilizes a 19th-century definition from the Vocabulario de la lengua tagala to frame his work, noting that historietta translates to a "small story" that historically meant finding sense or meaning (kasaysayan) rather than just a dry recitation of chronological facts.