New book describing daily life and growing up in the Philippines:
MIRROR OF MY PAST, THE REFLECTIONS OF A FILIPINA AFTER IMMIGRATING TO AMERICA, IS A REFLECTION OF THE AUTHOR'S THOUGHTS LOOKING BACK AT HER LIFE GROWING UP IN THE PHILIPPINES AND HOW SHE IS NOW ABLE TO SEE MANY OF THE EVENTS OF GROWING UP QUITE DIFFERENTLY WITH MORE EXPERIENCE IN LIFE. SOMETIMES EMOTIONAL BUT ALWAYS BRUTALLY HONEST, SHE LOVINGLY EXPLORERS THE COMPLEX ASIAN MOTHER-DAUGHTER RELATIONSHIP AND PROVIDES DEEP INSIGHT INTO THE EVENTS THAT AFFECTED HER SO AS SHE WAS GROWING UP. SHE TELLS OF HER STRUGGLES WITHIN HER OWN FAMILY TO MAKE HER WISHES KNOWN TO REALIZE HER DREAMS OF COMING TO AMERICA. AND HOW PREJUDICES AMONG HER OWN RELATIVES AND IN HER OWN NEIGHBORHOOD HAD A PROFOUND AFFECT ON HER CHILDHOOD. SHE OFTEN FANTASIZED OF LEAVING THE PHILIPPINES AND GOING TO AMERICA -- PERHAPS, IN-PART, TO FULFILL THE LIFE-LONG WISH OF HER GRANDFATHER WHO HAD FOUGHT ALONG SIDE AMERICAN TROOPS DURING WORLD WAR II. AND HOW HE, HIMSELF, HAD FILLED HER WITH MANY STORIES ABOUT AMERICA AND ABOUT AMERICANS BEFORE SHE HAD EVEN REACHED SCHOOL AGE. AS A RESULT SHE TELLS OF THE HEARTBREAKING EPISODES OF GROWING UP POOR WITH HER CLOSE-NET LOVING FAMILY AND, EVENTUALLY, HOW A CHANGE IN ENVIRONMENT CAN SOMETIMES CREATE A WHOLE NEW OUTLOOK ON LIFE AND THE LIVES OF EVERYONE CLOSE TO HER. MIRROR OF MY PAST REFLECTS ON HER LIFE AS MELBA FINALLY SUCCEEDS GAMBLING WITH HER LIFE, BENUMBED WITH THE ATTITUDE BAHALA NA (COME WHAT MAY) GETTING TO AMERICA TO REALIZE HER DREAMS. FINDING IT DIFFERENT THAN SHE HAD EVER IMAGINED, MELBA EXLAINS HOW SHE IS GRATEFUL AND THANKFUL FOR FORTUNATELY FINDING A LOVING AND CARING OLDER MAN AND NOW REALIZES HOW MUCH SHE HAS CHANGED, HERSELF, BY THE EXPERIENCE. ONCE REGARDED AS A TREMENDOUS OBLIGATION TO HER FAMILY, MELBA IS NOW LOOKED UPON AS THE GRANDE DAME OF HER FAMILY. MIRROR OF MY PAST EXPLAINS HOW THAT CAME TO BE.
MIRROR OF MY PAST, THE REFLECTIONS OF A FILIPINA AFTER IMMIGRATING TO AMERICA, IS A REFLECTION OF THE AUTHOR'S THOUGHTS LOOKING BACK AT HER LIFE GROWING UP IN THE PHILIPPINES AND HOW SHE IS NOW ABLE TO SEE MANY OF THE EVENTS OF GROWING UP QUITE DIFFERENTLY WITH MORE EXPERIENCE IN LIFE. SOMETIMES EMOTIONAL BUT ALWAYS BRUTALLY HONEST, SHE LOVINGLY EXPLORERS THE COMPLEX ASIAN MOTHER-DAUGHTER RELATIONSHIP AND PROVIDES DEEP INSIGHT INTO THE EVENTS THAT AFFECTED HER SO AS SHE WAS GROWING UP. SHE TELLS OF HER STRUGGLES WITHIN HER OWN FAMILY TO MAKE HER WISHES KNOWN TO REALIZE HER DREAMS OF COMING TO AMERICA. AND HOW PREJUDICES AMONG HER OWN RELATIVES AND IN HER OWN NEIGHBORHOOD HAD A PROFOUND AFFECT ON HER CHILDHOOD. SHE OFTEN FANTASIZED OF LEAVING THE PHILIPPINES AND GOING TO AMERICA -- PERHAPS, IN-PART, TO FULFILL THE LIFE-LONG WISH OF HER GRANDFATHER WHO HAD FOUGHT ALONG SIDE AMERICAN TROOPS DURING WORLD WAR II. AND HOW HE, HIMSELF, HAD FILLED HER WITH MANY STORIES ABOUT AMERICA AND ABOUT AMERICANS BEFORE SHE HAD EVEN REACHED SCHOOL AGE. AS A RESULT SHE TELLS OF THE HEARTBREAKING EPISODES OF GROWING UP POOR WITH HER CLOSE-NET LOVING FAMILY AND, EVENTUALLY, HOW A CHANGE IN ENVIRONMENT CAN SOMETIMES CREATE A WHOLE NEW OUTLOOK ON LIFE AND THE LIVES OF EVERYONE CLOSE TO HER. MIRROR OF MY PAST REFLECTS ON HER LIFE AS MELBA FINALLY SUCCEEDS GAMBLING WITH HER LIFE, BENUMBED WITH THE ATTITUDE BAHALA NA (COME WHAT MAY) GETTING TO AMERICA TO REALIZE HER DREAMS. FINDING IT DIFFERENT THAN SHE HAD EVER IMAGINED, MELBA EXLAINS HOW SHE IS GRATEFUL AND THANKFUL FOR FORTUNATELY FINDING A LOVING AND CARING OLDER MAN AND NOW REALIZES HOW MUCH SHE HAS CHANGED, HERSELF, BY THE EXPERIENCE. ONCE REGARDED AS A TREMENDOUS OBLIGATION TO HER FAMILY, MELBA IS NOW LOOKED UPON AS THE GRANDE DAME OF HER FAMILY. MIRROR OF MY PAST EXPLAINS HOW THAT CAME TO BE.
(Xlibris Publishing, illus., 177 pages, HB $35, PB $21, available through your local book store)
I HIGHLY recommend this book. Not ONLY because it was written by my wife, but because it is so inspirational!
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