Review of Let Yourself be Led

[Rupneet]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Let Yourself be Led" by Michael McQuestion.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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Michael McQuestion’s Let Yourself Be Led is a Peace Corps odyssey that shares the enriching accounts of the author in the remote Philippines archipelago. The author of this book shares his captivating story, portrayed as Leo McClatchy's trials, making it an intriguing and compelling read that truly highlights the author's genius. The author's writing style is clear and engaging. In this book, he vividly portrays beautiful geography and verdant scenery, evoking a warm yet fresh impression of the land.

Leo felt his passionate and oriented soul instantly captivated by the surrounding beauty and the surreal, slow life in the remote village of Jamindan. Nonoy, a Jamindagaynon—a native of Jamindan—befriends Leo as soon as he arrives in Jamindan and engages in Leo's first project in setting up the Rural Health Unit. He meets Manong Tonton at Peling’s Carinderia who could speak English, which he had learned from American G.I.s during WWII. Leo learns the “bhala na” doctrine of the Filipino people and is intrigued by it. Little did he know that this would be one of the most subtle yet unsettling lessons he would ever learn from this arduous journey.

Intermittently, he learns the agility and the amazing integrity his friend Nonoy had, as they always tried to work closely. It helped him calm down and move forward with his project. The first outreach visit to Linambasan leaves Leo enthralled. His spirits are high, and he overcomes his initial dilemmas and spearheads the mission alone. During Leo’s solo visits—his first attempt at far-flung villages, Milan and Guintas—he initiates work on an ambitious but simple tool in the remote areas: a water purifier built using sand and charcoal.

But soon Leo becomes perplexed by his observations about how people might just be only acting around him. He discovers a firm determination and aspires to gain a deeper understanding of their intentions and beliefs to assess his challenges and plan his missions. He meets energetic people throughout his journey who enable and provide directions for his projects.

The remote and distant villages were filled with inherent dangers and political strife. However, these challenges did not deter the adventurous elements of American culture that Leo truly enjoyed. Leo and five other volunteers from Group #81 met Peter Rodney, who had been assigned to Panitan, where they narrowly escaped being shot—at least in Leo's imagination.

Although he was constantly puzzled by the unsuccessful projects, he was gradually learning the deeper nuances of Filipino culture. He observed that people truly cared about each other but were reluctant to the novel ideas. Leo’s perplexity with this notion is intriguing to read, and it gives the reader a peek into diversity and its confounding adversities. Leo learns this practice of the people of these remote villages as “another layer of onion” that he is slowly unraveling.

The trained volunteers were assigned independent positions to work closely with the healthcare teams in remote parts of the Philippines. They were well received in their posted towns and villages. A silent yet fulfilling life awaited them in the slow-moving world of the rural Philippines. The volunteers worked and built their niche while learning their many native dialects, loving their picturesque scenic world, and challenging their beliefs through new cultural practices.

The book is a great piece of work. I am truly amazed by the scientific dedication of the volunteers, working tirelessly to restore basic health in the most remote areas of the Philippine archipelago. To read about their efforts on this arduous task is truly inspiring. The author has elaborated on many serene experiences throughout the book that are splendid to read and enthuse the soul. The book beautifully showcases the geography and lifestyle of the indigenous people, offering a captivating glimpse into their world through the eyes of the author. It’s a splendid and enchanting travelogue that is entertaining as well as educational. I would rate this book 4 out of 5 stars based on all the positives and the author’s genius. However, I found some errors in the book, due to which I have reduced the rating. I would recommend this book to fans of excursions in the wilderness.

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Let Yourself be Led
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[Anozie Stephanie]

I generally love author's experiences about life and Let Yourself Be Led by Michael McQuestion is no exception.