America Is Not the Heart
Ratings10
Average rating3.9
15
After fleeing the Philippines, Hero De Vera arrives at her uncles where she is given a fresh start. He asks no questions about her disturbing political past, but his daughter, the first American-born family member, is unable to resist her curiosity especially about her cousin's damaged hands.
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Extraordinarily well written. Hero's life, personality, and character are well developed, complex, and fascinating. All of the characters feel realistic and the plot was compelling. I loved the commentary and the beautiful family story here.
This book is about many things, but to me, it is about truth: seeing it, accepting it, and then living with it. As the narrative unspools Paz and Hero???s stories, they learn things about the world, and about themselves, they did not know, or thought they knew, and have to live with that new reality. What they have in common, though, is that no matter what they learn, no matter how drastically the landscape of their reality is altered, they do not give up. They forge on ??? perhaps not with their heads held high, or always for the right reasons, but they forge on regardless. They adjust, they settle the edges of themselves against the world, and they go on. It???s like the people who have since moved back to live in Pinatubo???s shadow, despite the ever-present danger of eruption. The world changes, sometimes drastically, but life goes on.
Full review (more a personal essay really) here: https://wp.me/p21txV-FT
