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In the Philippines, the Tagalog word for grandmother is Iola.
But in our extended family, everyone called our grandmother Nanay.
Nanay means mother. The style of the following story is patchwork
to mimic the weaving of our grandmother’s life with the lives
of those who loved her as their matriarch.
- Nora Lusterio
Nanay’s story, like her life, speaks for
itself.
- Anna Lusterio
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My grandmother
would not be considered a feminist in Japan, but in the western
culture she is certainly viewed as one. She lived her life independently,
demonstrating strength and instinct for survival. I often feel I
still need her wisdom.
- Natsuko Kokubu |
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Women’s history
has taken place mostly in the private sphere, and as such has been
largely ignored. The fact that this book focuses on older women
is critical. It is a contribution to a vastly underrepresented subject.
The value of older women as sources of wisdom has been overlooked.
This collection pays tribute to that value.
- Nicola Lyle |
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The more I worked on
this story the more I realized that Mama was a true feminist. She
maintained traditional family values and still worked toward change.
I have come to realize that I can be a mother, educator, wife, feminist
- each identity not exclusive of the other but impacting on each
other and on my development as a woman.
- Karen Diaz |
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