I just finished your book and have been meaning to tell you how much I enjoyed it – I learned a lot about the Filipino community, it was interesting to have it set in Victoria where I am familiar with a lot of the landscape, and I enjoyed how it was set in a variety of locations.
Catherine K., November 21, 2018
A sympathetic look at a fascinating culture. I enjoyed the many local references, the perceptions and insight into Filipino’s culture and the characters met in the story.
Evert E Haymond, April 24, 2018
[…] I’m curious as to why the focus was on so many gay Filipinos. Don’t get me wrong, it seems like every Filipino family including my own seems to have more gay members than your typical Canadian family. Do you have any theories why that is? […] I really enjoyed reading your book, and I couldn’t wait to read your next one.
Mary Lee J., April 8, 2018
A beautiful story written with compassion and love for the Filipino people. […] The story reveals how one woman gave to her community. How her generosity of spirit compels the narrator to journey to her birthplace to discover her roots. In Canada and in the Philippines the complexities of life merge together to express the universality of love and companionship. This is a 5 star rated book, unique, lovely to read. […]
Sherry G., February 14, 2018
This book is not only a story but an immersion in the culture of the Philippines. The characters are described with so many details that they seem real. We become quickly attached to the character of Carmelita who is at the center of the book. A good book for the people who like traveling and humans.
Marie N., March 3, 2018
In a city in Western Canada, neighbours George Miller and Carmelita Tauber become good friends. As the health of Carmelita, an aging Filipina ex-pat, deteriorates, George finds that the admiration and respect he has for her will lead him to new places and new people. In Legacy of a Filipina, the reader accompanies George in mind-expanding experiences that show how people in different cultural settings live together and care for one another. The book is also a testimony to the positive influence one person (Carmelita) can have on a wide variety of people.
Selma S., March 11, 2018
[…] Ostensibly the book is a story about a Filipina matriarch. More interesting to me however were the insights the story provided into Filipino culture both at home in the Philippines and in the Canadian expat community. The author shines a light on the largely traditional, conservative, and familial Filipino community and their place in a liberal North American environment. […]
Jim Witter, January 5, 2018
The story was told in an easy conversational style, a story about a Matriarch, her old and new home, the connection of family and friends worlds away. I learned about life in a new country, the daily joys and struggles and the importance of culture. Looking for the next chapter, the next book of family and friends future.
Eleanor C., January 29, 2018
I enjoyed the complexity of Legacy of a Filipina. Even though the principal narrator George has obvious affection for Carmelita, he’s very even-handed in depicting her oddities and shortcomings. Similarly, he clearly has a passion for Filipinos and the Philippines, yet he frequently disapproves of Filipino-Canadians’ insularity and the Philippines’ corruption and disorganization. The relationship between Marty and Colin is portrayed with equal complexity. While Marty loves Colin, he’s unable to acknowledge that love or his gayness with his mother and much of his family. Marty continues to love Colin even when Colin treats him cruelly. And Colin himself is torn between affection for Marty, self-hate and a desire to drive those who care for him away. Nothing is black and white or straightforward, just as in life.
Bruce C., September 2, 2017
It was really nice story!
Teresa, August 11, 2017