Tuesday, October 3, 2023

Valenzuelano Reads "Wild Song" by Candy Gourlay

Read Wild Song by Candy Gourlay

Reading has always been a part of my daily life. With a filled up schedule, I usually bring a book or two wherever I go so just in case there is some idle time (i.e. falling in line at South Supermarket or at the ATM), I can easily flip open a book. 

Thus, I am truly thrilled to be part of a book blog tour hosted by Ms. Zarah Gagatiga. The book sent to me all the way from Laguna was Candy Gourlay's Wild Song. I have read Candy Gourlay's previous books, Tall Story and Shine, which I enjoyed. The said titles are also part of the recommended title pool in our LIS 114 and 115 classes at the University of the Philippines School of Library and Information Studies.

Wild Song shares with us the fictional story of the Bontok community set during the Philippine colonial period. It centers on Luki, who is described as a fierce Bontok teen who is  not your stereotypical village girl and Samkad, a young village warrior. It talks about their travel from Bontok to the United States, their stay and experiences at the Saint Louis World Trade Fair, and then their trip back home.  

Let me share with you three realizations that I had while reading Wild Song:

Be proud of your roots. "It's our way of life. I am proud of it!", Samkad said. An argument between Samkad, the young warrior who loves Luki, and Kinyo, who has been working with the American Mr. Jenks, was on. Kinyo described the Bontok life as a tiny life but Samkad views it the other way around. As I was reading this part, I have to say that I am leaning towards Samkad's side. Yes, I believe that each one of us  must develop and improve ourselves but we should also think about the community which raised us as we try to achieve our own personal advancement. 

Mothers are our anchor. "...Mother, I was so tired..."."It was incredible, Mother". All throughout the book, one can read how Luki narrated her daily life to her dead mother. It showed how close she is to her mom. Close family ties has been known to be a Filipino trait thus the personal conversations that Luki has in every chapter made it more evident.

Home is where the heart is. The last chapter entitled "Home" struck me to the core.  The journey back home of Luki, Samkad, Sidong, and Tilin resonated deeply in me. I asked myself - why am I so affected? 

We lost our father to COVID. Tatay was living in the United States then and has expressed that he wants to go home for good. Valenzuela, for us, is home. But then the pandemic came and hit the family badly. It was truly difficult for us not to be physically there for him. Bringing Tatay home was a challenge. I had to stop reading and wipe off tears when Sidong said "We didn't leave Tilin behind." - Tilin who passed away while at the United States too. We bring our kin home no matter how difficult it might be.    

Wild Song is a sequel of Bone Talk, a book focusing more about Samkad. I haven't read this one yet thus after enjoying Wild Song, I knew that I got to read the other book too. For now, I hum the story of this Bontok girl - powerful, brilliant, and brave.   

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My sincerest thank you to Candy Gourlay for this book and Zarah Gagatiga for the opportunity to be part of a Book Blog Tour. Such a great a read!

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