“It’s like a breath of fresh air (The Legacy Letters).” — Donna Ledesma

Upon starting on the pages, I was surprised to immediately feel that this book would resonate with me for the following reasons… First, I believe I am sufficiently passionate for many things (music, words, nature… oh, that gift of youthful exuberance, I think I have it). Second, I love hearing words of delight, of awe and beauty, of positive ions and energy; they’re like music to my ears. Lastly, and especially, I love listening from/about old folks. To know that these letters were written decades ago totally boosted me. As someone born from the ‘90s, I am nostalgia in the making. I do fantasize about being a baby boomer, a gen-X kid, and, my goodness, do I salute The Greatest Generation—just saying those words sends shivers down my spine! I would love to live in these eras, where there were less technology and more, more people. I am one of those who ache for this generation that has too much information but too little substance, too much rules but too little integrity. I think, today’s people need a dose of these legacy letters — not only to experience how it’s like to live back in the day, but also to grasp the vigor and frolic human beings are capable to contain.

And that’s what this book is all about. It’s about humanity, individuality, your personhood, your innermost, your soul, your actions, your relationships, your morals, your character, your aspirations, your dreams, all interpreted into fireworks and musical notes, earth and sky, snowflakes and colors, all that’s “spanglorious and grandacious”, as the writer puts it. I can only imagine how it’s like to be this old man’s kid, holding the letters, words exploding in my eyes. The words and style were in themselves graceful and candid, almost enchanting.

I do wonder though. There is so much mystery left that had not been disclosed in this book; too many letters unpublished. It’s intriguing and at the same time bothering… how exactly it is like to seclude oneself, months before death comes knocking on your door. How exactly it is like to never fully say goodbye, to hide the illness until death, to die alone… In my whole reading of this book, my constant question was, what made this man decide to do all these? It haunts me, really.

And just like the novels that I have read, a part of me is sorrowful; I wish the writer had come to surrender to Jesus as God. I ache as a Christian whose truth is that there are only two ultimate choices possible: Christ, or death. I speak as to what the published letters in this book contain.

Nevertheless, I love this book. It is now one of my favorites. I cannot deny the original vibe that the writer has; his tone that is almost never-heard-of… It makes me smile. Reading it is like picking up gold stones along the way, adding to my pocketful of diamonds and youthful exuberance. The gold stones will remain in me as I continue to grow up.

I love that there is this kind of man who once existed, despite the circumstances. He is so real to me, joints and marrows. I can only wish for the universe to conspire so that I may meet him and ignite a spark of his blazing fire of passion. Because that’s what this book is all about. Passion, love, and more passion and love. Highly recommended!

Reviewed By: Donna Ledesma
Posted on: GoodReads.com