Esmeralda Santiago's memoirs
I enjoyed reading the first two volumes of Esmeralda Santiago's memoirs. The second more than the first since she has so beautifully and stubbornly evolved from a Puerto Rican little girl to an American "almost a woman". Her life is spectacular and while reading the books I felt not once that it would have lacked this exquisiteness had she not lived in USA. For instance, I doubt that a young woman living in Romania can meet as many colourful and interesting people as appeared in Negi's life. Is it that trully colourful and interesting people do not live in Romania?!
However, among all the interesting people, food, family life, love, hardship, discrimination and intense feelings, the lines that I liked best are not in the books themselves but in the acknowledgements that end the second volume (which can be easily considered as part of the memoirs): "And finally, my husband, Frank Cantor, and our children, Lucas and Ila, have figured out when I need to be alone and when I need a hug. You make me sing (But don't worry, I won't do it in public.)"
We are made from all the people we have met in our journeys. I haven’t read anything of this author, so I do not know the “colourful and interesting people” who appeared in her life. However, I do know that such people also exist in Romania, maybe in other shapes, fewer, different from the ones from that memoir. But they surely exist. I met one or two in my journey. I believe that when we stop being colourful we stop seeing the colours in others, and maybe that’s the issue of the Romanian people. So I believe that their “finding” stays in our hands – be open-minded, dare to look, to listen and to accept them, so we can really see and discover their colours, or simply daring to move from our safety zones, embracing the unknown. I think Romanian people fear what is different.
RăspundețiȘtergereyes, you haven't read her books :) that colourful was indeed colourful, yet not what you had in mind in your comment. for instance, there was a certain guy whom she met on the street,and, after a couple of hours of talking, he asked her to marry him. she said yes.
RăspundețiȘtergerei could give you other examples, but i don't want to spoil the book for y