I’ve mentioned before that Mina V. Esguerra’s setting for her Interim Goddess of Love trilogy (my reviews of Interim Goddess of Love, Queen of the Clueless, Icon of the Indecisive) strongly reminds me of our alma mater – Mina and I went to the same school. I’ve also posted pictures of the Ateneo de Manila University but I wanted to do it again now while highlighting certain sections out of Interim Goddess of Love for this Snapshot From a Book post. I have such fond memories of studying in Ateneo – I met some of my closest friends there, had inspiring teachers and classes, enjoyed extra-curricular activities and just generally liked hanging out in school. Reading the Interim Goddess of Love books brought back some of those memories. Here are a few quotes and photos:
“Located just outside of Metro Manila, Ford River College was a relatively new school (compared to the over-a-century-old ones put up during the Spanish and American periods), but it already had a reputation for being the place to send your children if they were very smart, or if you were very rich. I was there on scholarship, but I didn’t think that automatically put me in the camp of very smart. Maybe lucky.”
“Did I want to go to Ford River? I visited the campus and it looked beautiful, its brick buildings scattered in a field of green that looked out onto an actual (clean) creek on one side, and a hill on the other. I went to high school in the middle of Manila, and maybe I’d had enough of that.”
This last bit is not related to the setting but it’s a beautiful quote so I wanted to include it:
“Because, though I’d seen and felt just a fraction of all the love in the world, I knew that when people thought of love they thought of moments. Whether or not a marriage worked out, or if they stayed together after graduation, or if they did go to the big dance together, the story’s end mattered less, and the highlights in between mattered more. Those are what lingered, and what people can go back to, even when they had nothing left.”
June 15, 2014 at 8:12 am
Wow! Loved this post!! 😀 Looks like a really awesome place.
June 15, 2014 at 11:32 pm
*school pride*
I’m glad I was able to use these pictures to represent the setting for Mina’s books. 🙂
June 15, 2014 at 12:38 pm
Thanks for putting a face onto Ford River College. Hannah is one of my favorite characters in all the stories I’ve read.
June 15, 2014 at 11:45 pm
I really was remembering Ateneo while I was reading Mina’s series. Thanks for dropping by and letting me know that Hannah is one of your favorite characters. 🙂
June 16, 2014 at 1:43 pm
You made me miss Ateneo with this post! (And that’s something I never thought I’d say.) I have to reread this novel AND continue on with the series soon so I can do a full review on the blog! 🙂
June 18, 2014 at 4:44 pm
Haha I miss Ateneo too! But if I go there for a visit, I’d probably feel so old compared to the students. I hope you get to read the whole trilogy soon. Did the setting remind you of Ateneo as well?
June 17, 2014 at 12:44 am
Oh, yes, I have this book on my Kindle . . . your post makes me want to move it up on my list! I get nostalgic whenever I visit a big campus.
June 18, 2014 at 4:58 pm
Rachel, that’s so cool that you’re interested in reading Filipino fiction! You might want to read the sequels after you read Interim Goddess of Love. If you’re interested in a standalone, my favorite out of Mina’s books is Fairy Tale Fail.
I think schools/campuses make most people nostalgic because they remind us of our own experiences.
June 19, 2014 at 12:35 am
Well, I read basically everything! I did like Fairy Tale Fail, but I think I would prefer Interim Goddess because of the fantasy element.
June 19, 2014 at 10:46 am
Oh yes, I remember now that you mentioned you got a copy because of the fantasy element. But take note that it’s very light on the fantasy.
Pingback: Best of 2014 | Chachic's Book Nook
Pingback: Snapshot From a Book: Daughter of Smoke and Bone | Chachic's Book Nook
Pingback: Snapshot From a Book: What You Wanted | Chachic's Book Nook
Pingback: Snapshot from a Book: Better At Weddings Than You | Chachic's Book Nook