Chasing Someday by Lindzee Armstrong | A Book Review

I read this book way back early June. I thought I posted a review already. Yes, I am buried deep in unwritten reviews. I thought I have gotten it under control but something came up that I had to spend more energy and time on. Don't worry, reading books and posting reviews is already a permanent activity in my life. I will never give it up. This is the only thing that is keeping me sane enough in this chaotic and absolutely crazy world.

 

This is a story of married women who are having a hard time getting pregnant again or unable to conceive at all. Three women--Megan, Christina and Kyra. These three met in a school book drive and found that they have something more in common. These three will help each other get through the biggest problem in their lives so far.

 

The story is very realistic. It perfectly mirrors the emotional and psychological strains a woman goes through when she finds out that she her womb can't carry or grow a baby. It depicts the toll that is weighing on the persons involved, the marriage and the people closest to those persons. It creates a ripple effect of worry, concern and emotional drain on everyone involved, especially the main woman concerned and her husband. Infertility kind of brands or marks a woman for life of being unable to perform her duties as a wife and mother or has failed in being just a woman.

 

Chasing Someday is a very fitting title to this book. It explains the whole story in these two words. The three main characters were indeed chasing someday. The what could have been, what might have been and what will be if they were able to fulfill their greatest desire--to be a mother. These three women found strength in each other in their shared struggle to be the wife and mother that they wanted to be. To have that complete family they have been dreaming for. 

 

This is a very hopeful story yet you have to go through a very emotional state first before getting to the most amazing part. Just like the saying, it gets worst before it gets better. These three women went through the worst before they saw the silver lining in all the emotional turmoil and grief they have to go through. The waiting itself was almost killing them but like always, it's always worth the wait. Things seemed to have worked out for each of them with each other's help. Never giving up even when the odds were all against them. 

Aside from the three women in the story, there is another one mentioned here. She is Megan's piano student who got pregnant in her teens and the boyfriend did not want her to keep the baby. Her story posed a great contradiction to the three women's problems because here she is, in her youth and prime, with endless possibilities ahead of her. Yet, all her dreams and hopes seemed to have vanished because of a baby, while the three woman had been wanting and dreaming of one. This is kind of one of life's jokes, right? But no one's laughing.

I give this book 4/5 negative pregnancy tests. This s a very emotional story that will wring your heart out. I am in my mid-thirties and single and I pray that I wouldn't have to go through what all of these three women have when the time for me to want a child/children of my own. I know of a friend who also had a hard time conceiving and she was so frustrated that she somehow want to also make everyone around her feel that. She was so full of negativity that I had to distance myself from her because I don't have enough strength to battle her negativity. I too was going through some problems of my own during that time. For those who are fortunate to not have to go these very trying experience, be the best mother you can be and love your kids with all you have because some do not the privilege to have that gift. And for the rest of us, these women like the three in the story need our empathy and understanding. I don't think it's their fault if there's something wrong with their uterus or any feminine parts. If they have any control over those, they would have done everything to make them work right and get that bouncing beautiful baby they have been praying and dying for.

I never realized how much I want children until I was told it might not be possible.

- Lindzee Armstrong, Chasing Someday - 

Thank you again, Lindzee Armstrong for the copy. 

 

 

 

Where Jasmine Blooms by Holly S. Warah | A Book Review

I felt like such a slacker knowing that to date, I have only posted two reviews for this month. I have a lot of catching up to do. I have a lot of reviews to write. As I have mentioned in one of my posts, I was in another city for the past seven weeks trying to find opportunities but unfortunately, it was not enough time. I have exhausted my funds. I don't want to call it a failed undertaking because I have learned a lot about myself from my experiences there. I am very thankful for the kindness of new-found friends for all their help. I have now become so familiar with the feeling of being shown so much kindness that I can't help but feel like I'm dying. Yes, you can kill people with kindness. I have been in the receiving end and I attest to the truth of this saying. It's a feeling of being thankful at the same time embarrassed at being given so much kindness that you felt like you don't deserve any of it. So, to all those people, thank you so much. I am overwhelmed with gratitude and I am not sure how I will ever repay all of you. I am humbled.

I love stories that span cultures, traditions and even religions beliefs. I am hungry for stories about other cultures, especially those that are often viewed as radicals like people born in the Middle East, etc. I think those people have a lot of stories to tell but they just don't get a lot of chance to tell them to the world. This story is a great example. This is a story of three women. Three women of diverse culture, origin and beliefs. These three were forced to deal with each one's eccentricities and learned to live with each other because they were bound by love, family and marriage. In the end, they all wanted the same things in life, in spite of their differences. This is a very touching story of Arab people who were originally from Palestine. How they came to the US and live a new life knowing they have family left in the war-torn confines of Jordan.

It was my first time to read a story where some of the characters where from Palestine. It was refreshing and a learning experience to be able to understand their experiences living or being caught in the cross-fire between two opposing countries, both in ideology and in their fight in protecting their territories. It was a sad plight, knowing they can't even visit the places where they used to frequent as a child. It was heartbreaking to hear that these people are depending on the government for their daily sustenance because there are very few or no jobs that they could find because of the turmoil their land is going through. I sympathize with them. We often hear of news about Israel but we seldom hear information about the plight of the other side of the conflict. This is an eye-opener for me. Both sides had their own casualties and difficulties because of this age-old conflict. The people who are mostly affected are the ordinary citizens trying to survive. I hope this conflict ends before generations are lost and the hatred gets passed on to the next generation who will inherit these lands. That is if there will be anyone left. God forbid.

This story also delved into the intricacies of the Muslim religion. The traditions and celebrations of Muslims have to fulfill in order to keep their faith. The prayers, the celebration of Ramadan, how marriages are done, etc. It's a peek into the life of those non-Muslims who married into the Muslim community, whether they converted or not. 

I was fascinated with this story, because it brought me to new places and let me witness new experiences. Yes, this story strengthened my dream to one day visit the Holy Land. Part of the pilgrimage will take me into some of the places mentioned in this story that Palestinians are no longer able to visit freely. Only tourists are given the privilege. Someday, when I will finally have the opportunity to walk in the streets of Jerusalem and Bethlehem, I will remember the fascinating characters of this story which will just make the trip even more memorable for me.

I give this story 4/5 Muslim prayer mats. This story reminds me of the stories written by Khaleed Hosseini. This story resonates with the same theme of love and family. And just like the rest of us, Palestinians have the same hopes, wishes and dreams. We may have different beliefs and cultures but we all strive for one goal and that is to have a better life for our family. And like the three women in this story--Zainab, Margaret and Alison Mansour, we only wants what's best for the people we love. Wherever the jasmine blooms is where her roots find nourishment to grow and nourish. This is the story of all Muslim US immigrants. Just like the jasmine and Zainab, wherever you are in the world, no matter how far or remote you are from the land of your birth, as long as you have your family near, it will always feel like home. Yes, home is where the heart is. It's not necessarily anchored to a specific physical place.

 

Would she ever live in the one place she truly belonged? Or would she only be a visitor, a traveler carrying her homeland around in her heart?

- Holly S. Warah, Where the Jasmine Blooms -

Thank you again, Netgalley for the review copy.

The Absence of Evelyn by Jackie Townsend | A Book Review

This story took me back to my trip in Hanoi, specifically the Halong Bay cruise. It was my first time to be on a cruise and I felt like big bucks. There were just about 20 of us in the junk and we felt like we owned the boat. It was only an overnight stay in Halong Bay after a tour of the floating villages, pearl farm and the big cave in one of the islands. We kayaked in tandem. It was an amazing experience except for the fact that Halong Bay is not exactly as beautiful as in the pictures. The water was not clear and there was even a smell which is not the same refreshing and revitalizing salty air you would usually breathe when at sea.

The Absence of Evelyn is a story of familial love. The love between sisters. The love between parents and kids. The love between mothers and daughters. The story revolved around three women--Evelyn, Rhonda and Olivia. Evelyn and Rhona are sisters. Olivia is the adopted daughter of Rhonda. The story will take you through the longing of Olivia for her real parents and Rhonda's getting to terms with the absence of Evelyn.

I always love stories about women--women's literature. There is always this poignant display of emotions when you talk about women. Our pain, disappointments, triumphs and struggles are always filled with more intensity and drama. I guess, it has to do with us women being emotional beings. We are drama queens at some point in our lives and even if we try to downplay some of these emotions, they still show and come up to the surface. It's in our anatomy. It's how we were made. We were made to feel and exhibit those emotions. We were made to share and spread these feelings out to the world. We were made to feel deeply and passionately about a lot of things, especially about things that we hold dear like family and friends.

At first, I kept asking who is Evelyn and what she is in this story. Then, as the dynamics between Rhonda and Olivia was explained it slowly became evident the role of Evelyn in their lives. She is the glue that held all the connections between Olivia, Rhonda, Carlotta and Marco. With her absence, it seemed that the link has been severed also. Some of them were left drifting like Marco, finding no reason to live. Others like Rhonda became scared and fearful of the changes. Olivia, on the other hand, was looking for that something to make her whole. 

I liked how one Skype call changed everything.  It prompted the series of events that moved all these people into each other's orbit. It propelled each person to reach out and in turn each one discovered what's the significance of the other. It was like playing connect the dots. It all starts and ends with Evelyn.

This is a very moving story of finding oneself. To realize that the one thing you were looking for was right in front of you. To find that there is someone or people out there who cherished the same things as you do and you have a common ground--a connection that could never be erased by distance or time. That knowing where you came from can actually lead you to finding the person you want to become.

I give this 4/5 junk boats. I was not happy with the ending. Not everything was resolved. Marco should have done something to make up for his shortcomings and for the time that were wasted. What happened to Marco's character made the ending incomplete. All the other characters in the story had been able to find solace but not Marco. I think it was so cowardly of him to not face his situation. I think he should have been thankful instead of turning his back. I wished there was a better ending for Marco. I think he too deserved some measure of happiness and peace after all that he has been through.

She stood, listening to the silence, a silence so unlike the one she knew--the desert--dried up and hollowed out, empty. But this silence was different. Full and lush and alive. She felt strangely attuned to it, the soft wind, like a howling animal.

- Jackie Townsend, The Absence of Evelyn -

 Thank you again Netgalley for the copy.

Trembling Leaf by T. L. Kole | A Book Review

I got this book through Goodreads. I am a member of Oprah's Book Club and one of the members who is also an author posted about giving her books for free in exchange for a review. I got this way back November last year but was not able to read it until last March. 

The Trembling Leaf is a story of a woman who had a hard life. She was deprived of a mother's unconditional love. Her self-esteem is so fragile. This is a recounting of her sad life as an eldest child, a teenager seeking to fit in, a woman working hard and eventually finding love but then got her heart broken. This talked more of the pains than of triumphs.

The main character Yasmine, grew up disillusioned and hungry for a mother's love and attention. Her manipulative mother preyed on her to coerce her to do her bidding. Her father was her only source of comfort and strength at home. She grew up believing she's ugly and unremarkable. This insecurity has taken a deep root in her being that even after she found the love of her life, this insecurity kept popping to the surface and eventually led her to leave her husband instead of working out their marriage.

The story was written in  a way that it alternates between the retelling of the past in a form of a journal entry and the current time. This goes on from the beginning until the last part that there were instances where in I was confused whether I was reading about an event in the not so distant past or the current. That was the main issue I had with this book. I thought the retelling of her childhood was unnecessary but in the last part, it suddenly became clear that it was essential for the whole story to work. Though, I wished it was not so excruciatingly long. I think, the narration could have been more engaging.

The long narrative that lead to the current life of Yasmine, as I said, was justified because it strongly established the character flaws and personality of Yasmine. In short, there was only one thing that Yasmine was unable to do to change her life. She was powerless to change how her mother treated her but she had every power to make her marriage work. She should just have confronted Jack about whatever was bugging her and all her pains and fears after that should have been needless. She let her insecurity get the best of her and ruined her marriage because she refused to believe that she deserves happiness just like everyone else. She thought that by running away, it will make her problem and issues disappear. 

At least, the issue about the misunderstanding was resolved in the end, but only years after  which was too late but then the closure was what she needed. A lot of things have happened to Yasmine and Jack's individual lives in the years in between. 

I give this book 2/5 journals. I felt like this could have done better. The idea was good but the delivery, in a way, did not really appeal to me. It somehow failed to connect to me. There were a lot of passages here that contain wisdom and truths about life. That was one of the good things about this book. Also, I really love the prayer by Mother Theresa. It simply summarized how we should live our lives. So, here it is. It's one great code to live by.

Mother Theresa's Prayer

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere, people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, others would destroy overnight. Create anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway. 

Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway. 

Thank you again, T. L. Kole for the copy.