When Turtles Come Home

I love memoirs, especially ones that teach me about different cultures and countries. It was a really enjoyable book and I loved the parts about the Philippines having lived there for some years. Full review: https://www.netgalley.co.uk/book/166810/review/478753

An intimate look at life in the Philippines of family culture politics.A very interesting look at a world I knew nothing about.

When Turtles Come Home is more than just a collection of Victoria Hoffarth's memories of her home country the Philippines and other countries including Germany, USA, France and England, where she has lived and worked for many years. The author has a sense of history coupled with an analytical mind and the ability to let us see what she has seen. With a combination of textbook formality and personal thoughts and feelings, this very interesting book becomes a very enjoyable read. Readers will empathize with her self-doubts on religion, on her abilities, on her determination to rise above the 2nd class citizenship conferred on women and, on intra and inter-family relationships. The German aged care system is shown-up in its rigid and unfeeling regulation just as the informalities of the Philippines can be seen to accept elements of corruption and the English, as many a foreigner knows, can exude apathy, coldness and indifference. This book helps to tell the truth of how life does not always conform to our hopes and dreams. It looks at life trying to understand it and, to find the courage to name it. It is highly recommended. W. Buchanan Perth, Australia.

Victoria Hoffarth has the advantage of having experienced Philippine culture both as in insider and as an outsider. She is a Filipina who was born and raised in the Philippines and knows its rural life and family values. She also spent many years abroad and returned to her country with the eye of a foreigner that can perceived details that an insider would not be aware of. Aside from being extremely well written and easy to read, this book offers fascinating insights into cultural values, business ethics, Philippine collectivism, religion and identity.

'Turtles carry their homes on their backs, travelling thousands of miles each year. But eventually, guided by the magnetic fields of the earth, they are programmed to return to the place of their birth'. When Turtles Come Home is a memoir, a social commentary and a legacy of words. Hoffarth is an' ordinary' person who has searched for a sense of belonging all her life. Born in the Phillipines but never feeling she belonged, she travelled to such places as Germany, New York, Paris, London, learning about herself and the world as she did so. In 2004 she eventually found her way back to the place of her birth, culturally enriched and living with a sense of peace that was hitherto lacking. Her memoir is split into three parts. Part One contains stories of her childhood and her travels. Part Two examines the Philippine Cultural Values and Norms, and Part Three looks at Choices and Identity. She also examines what it means to be happy, and in the final chapter looks at the current state of world affairs and where the world is heading, with hope springing from the younger generation and the social and political movements including #MeToo. A fascinating account of life in the Philippines, but it is more than a memoir, it's a political and social commentary on what makes us human, and what it takes to find our place in the world.