Legacy
When fifteen-year-old Jake is force to give up a long anticipated ski trip with his friends for a dubious trip to the Netherlands to stay with relatives he has never met, he is not ‘a happy camper’. Listening to a bunch of old history while he is there isn’t exactly helping cheer him up. And then, to top it all off, he’s dragged to a cemetery on Christmas Eve. Will he survive this Christmas?
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What others say about Legacy
Really Cool Flashbacks
When teenager Jake's mother planned a holiday to the Netherlands, Jake was unimpressed, reluctant and dreaded the upcoming event. Not very different impressions from my teenager, who, when she heard we had planned a surprise trip, immediately guessed it was to Mexico and consequently acted unimpressed, reluctant and began to complain vocally. Except Mexico was really Hawaii and I purchased "Legacy" by Mary Hosmar for her to read while in transit.
But Jake, like my daughter, would experience a metamorphosis. Arriving on Christmas Eve to a snowy, cold, dreary cemetery in Amsterdam, Jake has no clue that he will uncover his past, a history that was impossible to feel had he spent Christmas Eve in equally snowy, cold Canada. Hosmar, a former teacher, blends education, history, geography and family ties in the melting pot called "Legacy". My daughter thought the author's use of flashbacks to tell the story was "cool". She learnt a number of facts about both countries, especially the Netherlands, that she would have not have known otherwise, and thinks it is a great way for students - and anyone- to find out information about other lands and cultures without having to resort to textbooks. She found Jake's mother's upbringing and life in Amsterdam, poignant, and developed an empathy for the woman born out of vicarious living as "Legacy" unfolded. The same was true for Jake, only his understanding was a hundred times more effective.
My daughter found another connection in the book. Her parents were born in another country and exposed to a different way of living and life in general. She has visited my birth country numerous times, and each time it has stolen a piece of her heart and affection, and her appreciation for the island has blossomed. She was thus happy that Jake had an opportunity to experience his mother's homeland, albeit it is far different scenario from her fun-loving-island vacations. She is even interested in visiting Amsterdam as a result of reading this book. She thinks it is a book suitable to any age a group and hope you will enjoy it as much as she did.
(Note: I did not read but rated it and wrote the review as my daughter described.)
S. Harris - Author and Speaker
But Jake, like my daughter, would experience a metamorphosis. Arriving on Christmas Eve to a snowy, cold, dreary cemetery in Amsterdam, Jake has no clue that he will uncover his past, a history that was impossible to feel had he spent Christmas Eve in equally snowy, cold Canada. Hosmar, a former teacher, blends education, history, geography and family ties in the melting pot called "Legacy". My daughter thought the author's use of flashbacks to tell the story was "cool". She learnt a number of facts about both countries, especially the Netherlands, that she would have not have known otherwise, and thinks it is a great way for students - and anyone- to find out information about other lands and cultures without having to resort to textbooks. She found Jake's mother's upbringing and life in Amsterdam, poignant, and developed an empathy for the woman born out of vicarious living as "Legacy" unfolded. The same was true for Jake, only his understanding was a hundred times more effective.
My daughter found another connection in the book. Her parents were born in another country and exposed to a different way of living and life in general. She has visited my birth country numerous times, and each time it has stolen a piece of her heart and affection, and her appreciation for the island has blossomed. She was thus happy that Jake had an opportunity to experience his mother's homeland, albeit it is far different scenario from her fun-loving-island vacations. She is even interested in visiting Amsterdam as a result of reading this book. She thinks it is a book suitable to any age a group and hope you will enjoy it as much as she did.
(Note: I did not read but rated it and wrote the review as my daughter described.)
S. Harris - Author and Speaker
Enjoyable read
I enjoyed reading Legacy. I would recommend it for teen readers, who would identify with the main character's struggles as he learns about his family history on a trip he never wanted to make. The author has created many interesting and diverse characters, and she has interwoven historical detail skillfully into her story.
E. McFadden
E. McFadden