In the memoir Defying the Odds, Urduja Dela Cueva chronicles her fascinating life story, opening with her journey from the Philippines to America where she begins a new chapter with the love of her life. After meeting Ralph, a handsome Navy Officer, at the United States Naval Base in Subic Bay, Urduja made the agonizing choice to leave her three children and extended family behind in the Philippines and immigrate to the United States in 1969. After she marries Ralph in a simple wedding ceremony at City Hall in Norfolk, Virginia, Ralph lands a new job on Wall Street that promises a bright future for their family. As Urduja encounters challenge after challenge, she tells the story of how she obtained a permanent visa, found steady work, and took courses at New York University, all while experiencing frightening, foretelling nightmares every night while she slept. Urduja's true and fascinating story proves that one woman can defy all odds and still win in the end through the power of faith and God's word.