Review of The Broken Bridge Foreshadows Disasters

[Angela Macdonald 1]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Broken Bridge Foreshadows Disasters" by Edgardo G. Calansingin.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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I would give The Broken Bridge Foreshadows Disasters by Edgardo G. Calansingin five out of five stars.

As a lover of history, the blurb and author’s biography really appealed to me. I got the impression that I would learn a lot from this book and the author’s point of view, and that I would be likely to use it for reference in the future. I was very happily proven right as I read the book and was provided a fascinating window into a place and time completely out of my experience. The beautiful and harsh past of specific areas of the Philippines was brought to life through Calansingin’s words and childhood experiences. I loved his use of description and metaphor to articulate his point of view and the nature of the place he lived (I have a particular fondness for his likening a typhoon to a ‘lion’). It is made very clear how magnificent nature, flora and fauna alike, was in the areas Calansingin described. I really enjoyed the use of photos and imagery to support his account, even though his words painted more than enough of a picture on their own.

Calansingin, despite his admiring treatment of his childhood home, does not shy away from the harshness experienced within it, from the horrific experience of World War Two to how deadly the rivers could be. His account, therefore, is very well-rounded. As to be expected, given he was there to experience such events, it feels real. The book offers an almost tangible experience for the reader, and I relished every page. I cannot recall a single thing I disliked in the text, or the way it was written.

I would absolutely recommend this to any adult or teenage reader, especially those that enjoy history and geography, as I believe the author’s voice is one that needs to be heard and shared. An increasingly rare, first-person account of events that humanity cannot afford to forget as we move into an uncertain future. It was absolutely superb!

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The Broken Bridge Foreshadows Disasters
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