Review of Heritage and Hope
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[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Heritage and Hope" by Charles Wheatley.]
Heritage and Hope: Finding My Purpose in Virgin Islands Culture 1938-1963 by Charles Wheatley is a memoir about the first twenty-five years of Carlos's life in the British Virgin Islands.
Carlos was born in East End, Tortola, British Virgin Islands. As soon as he was able to speak, his mother taught him how to pray, and at the age of four, his father introduced the Bible to him and made him memorize some verses. In the enclave where Carlos grew up, church service and school all took place in the same building, and there wasn't even a secondary school. Nevertheless, Carlos was determined to find his true calling. Read this book to know how that society shaped his life and if he ever discovers his purpose.
Charles Wheatley has succeeded in revisiting the way of life in the British Virgin Islands between 1938 and 1963 through Carlos's story. If you are interested in knowing how people in the region lived at that time, I am sure you would find the book insightful. This story provides a comparison of the mores in that time and now. The author uses the third-person point of view for the narrations and includes a few poems and quotes to help readers appreciate the story better.
What I like most about this book is its inspiring message of selflessness, self-control, and resilience. I enjoyed how Carlos continued to stay true to his purpose despite peer pressure and his aptitude to help others and bring out the best in them. His story would encourage readers to strive to do good regardless of the vicissitudes of life. More so, prospective readers would learn the importance of raising their children in God's ways and the influence of the family on a child.
Furthermore, I enjoyed the inspiring and thought-provoking quotes at the beginning of the chapters. They set the tone for the story therein and gave me something to reflect on while enjoying the narrations. My favorite quote is from Mark Twain, and it reads: "Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see." I identify with that quote and believe we can make the world a better place if we all show even a little kindness.
Nevertheless, I found some negatives to report about this book. Since this is a memoir, I expected the story to be about the author. However, my main qualm is that there is no information about who Carlos is to the author and if Carlos is just a fictional character depicting the author's life. The progression of events is also not linear, and while that in itself isn't an issue, I didn't enjoy the repetition of some narrations as a result. Also, I found up to ten errors in the book, and some of them were distracting.
In conclusion, I am rating this book 3 out of 4 stars. I couldn't give it a lower rating due to the life lessons one can learn from the publication, its message, and the intriguing insights into the culture of the people of the British Virgin Islands that the book offers. However, the issues I mentioned were enough to cost it a star. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy memoirs written in the third-person perspective, especially those interested in the culture of British Virgin Islanders between 1938 and 1963.
******
Heritage and Hope
View: on Bookshelves |
Heritage and Hope: Finding My Purpose in Virgin Islands Culture 1938-1963 by Charles Wheatley is a memoir about the first twenty-five years of Carlos's life in the British Virgin Islands.
Carlos was born in East End, Tortola, British Virgin Islands. As soon as he was able to speak, his mother taught him how to pray, and at the age of four, his father introduced the Bible to him and made him memorize some verses. In the enclave where Carlos grew up, church service and school all took place in the same building, and there wasn't even a secondary school. Nevertheless, Carlos was determined to find his true calling. Read this book to know how that society shaped his life and if he ever discovers his purpose.
Charles Wheatley has succeeded in revisiting the way of life in the British Virgin Islands between 1938 and 1963 through Carlos's story. If you are interested in knowing how people in the region lived at that time, I am sure you would find the book insightful. This story provides a comparison of the mores in that time and now. The author uses the third-person point of view for the narrations and includes a few poems and quotes to help readers appreciate the story better.
What I like most about this book is its inspiring message of selflessness, self-control, and resilience. I enjoyed how Carlos continued to stay true to his purpose despite peer pressure and his aptitude to help others and bring out the best in them. His story would encourage readers to strive to do good regardless of the vicissitudes of life. More so, prospective readers would learn the importance of raising their children in God's ways and the influence of the family on a child.
Furthermore, I enjoyed the inspiring and thought-provoking quotes at the beginning of the chapters. They set the tone for the story therein and gave me something to reflect on while enjoying the narrations. My favorite quote is from Mark Twain, and it reads: "Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see." I identify with that quote and believe we can make the world a better place if we all show even a little kindness.
Nevertheless, I found some negatives to report about this book. Since this is a memoir, I expected the story to be about the author. However, my main qualm is that there is no information about who Carlos is to the author and if Carlos is just a fictional character depicting the author's life. The progression of events is also not linear, and while that in itself isn't an issue, I didn't enjoy the repetition of some narrations as a result. Also, I found up to ten errors in the book, and some of them were distracting.
In conclusion, I am rating this book 3 out of 4 stars. I couldn't give it a lower rating due to the life lessons one can learn from the publication, its message, and the intriguing insights into the culture of the people of the British Virgin Islands that the book offers. However, the issues I mentioned were enough to cost it a star. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy memoirs written in the third-person perspective, especially those interested in the culture of British Virgin Islanders between 1938 and 1963.
******
Heritage and Hope
View: on Bookshelves |
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