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Top reviews from the United States
Serious Buyer
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Book So Rich in Details and Beautiful Nuances
Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2023
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My name is Mona and here is my review of “Chasing Windmills” by Maya Butalid… Reading this one book was like reading a million of books not because it is a compilation of short stories but because each short story is so rich in detail and nuances. It shows the reader how rich a life the author has led so far, and surely will continue to do so moving forward. All her experiences in the Netherlands resonates with me and my husband as we are also immigrants here in America, also from the Philippines. Though our journey seems tame compared to Maya’s and Carlo’s as we did not have the additional burden of learning a new (and seemingly) very difficult language. That is so impressive! The narrative going on all throughout the book is Maya’s love for her home country, the Philippines and her desire to continue the search for knowledge, both fun and profound. I love the “romantic” chapter on the interactions between the Young Soul, Maya, and the Old Soul, Carlo.
Maya and I were classmates in High School, our paths diverged after graduation and we reconnected decades later in 2018, when I visited Amsterdam and Maya visited me at my hotel. She treated me to a lovely dinner at the end of the day, and afterwards, as we were about to part ways, she to her train to go home to Tilburg, me to my bus to go back to the hotel, she turned to me and said, “take care and message me when you get to your hotel”. It was one of the sweetest thing I heard from a friend, and that, readers, epitomizes the kind of heart and spirit Maya has, and is the beautiful narrative all throughout this book, so much worth reading.
Jeff M
5.0 out of 5 stars
A fascinating, inspiring journey from the Philippines to the Netherlands
Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2023
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The author, Maya Butalid, was my college roommate at the University of the Philippines (Diliman) in the mid 70’s. The exteriorly sweet, demure, soft-spoken Maya belied the deeply committed student activist who, to my surprise decades later, turned out to be a ranking member of the underground movement against the Marcos dictatorship in the late 70’s.
Maya’s commitment to bringing positive change to the country propels her to the international scene. In an interesting twist, her disillusionment with the Netherlands-based leadership of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) brings new challenges. Her transformation to a new life is an inspiring read, written with the same spirit and passion that is uniquely Maya.
“Chasing Windmills” is Maya’s gift not only to her family, but to the world as she takes us along her political, personal, and spiritual journey.
Chona
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very engaging! Each story leads to the next, and then next.
Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2023
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Reading Maya Butalid’s “Chasing Windmills” was like reading about myself. As an activist, immigrant, mother, and lola, Maya’s stories resonated with me very well. I can vividly imagine what she went through. The first time I got hold of the book, I couldn’t bring it down. Each story was very engaging you would like to listen to the next, and then next. I have decided to share the book with other friends.
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Great Mama
5.0 out of 5 stars
What a wonderful book
Reviewed in the United States on August 6, 2022
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I met the author of this book while walking the Camino de Santiago and could not have guessed she would write such a book. Soft spoken and calm, the author, whose countenance belies her determination to better the country she was born in, reveals just how strong she had to be. The book is complex, a sweet and a lovely compilation of her life, written for her two daughters but at the same time an in depth description of the Philippines during the Marco regime. I have a new understanding of the Communist Party, one that is nothing like what was taught to us in American schools. Definitely worth the read.
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Jaime L Cordova
5.0 out of 5 stars Easy reading discussing difficult circumstances and challenges
Reviewed in the United States on August 24, 2022
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Perhaps Maya’s life story or talambuhay intersects and sometimes parallels with roads less traveled of fellow Martial law babies generation of late 1970s and early 1980s. The flawless storytelling makes it an easy reading but also heartbreaking and heartwarming in reflecting her challenges in the realm of personal, family and social relationship. I find her immigration and Dutch society integration story inspiring.
Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars
Quite an entertaining read
Reviewed in the United States on August 23, 2022
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The book takes you back to the heady days of Martial Law and provides a first-hand account of the mortal risks faced by the vanguards of student activism at the time. The author also offers invaluable insights into the struggles of migrants and the ways to adapt and become productive members of their host country.
Evelyn Fields
5.0 out of 5 stars
Like Sitting Down and Listening to a Friend Tell Her Stories
Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2023
Chasing Windmills is an intimate memoir comprised of many stories, reminiscent of Don Quixote’s quest for the good and noble in life. In Maya Butalid’s case, chasing windmills meant striving to live life at its best, based on deeply-rooted principles of integrity and compassion. At a young age of 16, the author, in her pursuit of seeking God, developed a deep conviction to fight for the voiceless and oppressed in Philippine society. To that effect, she joined an underground movement founded upon Communist principles, the Communist Party of the Philippines (CCP). A good portion of the memoir details the workings of the movement in opposition to the Marcos dictatorship regime, and risks and dangers encountered. The book is filled with deep insights and wisdom gained through experience. A significant event in the author’s life was when she and her husband severed ties with the CCP due to disillusionment with its leadership. As the author wrote, “To me politics is personal. I believe that one’s politics should be consistent with how one lives her/his life. That one should walk the talk”. The departure caused significant struggles and hardships for her family, Consistent with her pursuit of alleviating socio-political hardships, the book details the author’s many activities in the Netherlands, the land of windmills. And yet there is always the returning to roots, an intense love for the Philippine motherland that never fades. The tone of Chasing Windmills is highly personal, and reading it is like sitting down and listening to a friend speak calmly and quietly. There are many stories told, captivating and inspiring. As the book starts with a description of the author’s pursuit of God, it ends with her thoughts about God, having lived through multi-faceted events and challenges in life. God is real, she acknowledges, and simply said, God is love. Chasing Windmills has indeed fulfilled the author’s wish that to the reader, the book would be insightful, interesting, and entertaining. I wholeheartedly agree.