A Worthy Legacy Blog Tour Stop
Title: A Worthy Legacy
Author(s): Tomi Akinyanmi
Genre: non-fiction, inspirational
Publisher/Year: Tommie Books/2008
-Webpage: Tomi Akinyanmi
-Blog: Glimpses
-Art: Tomi Akinyanmi Gallery
-Poetry: Minstrel
Synopsis: The Harmattan wind scorches across Nigeria, and an old man lies dying. His community gathers to pay its respects; their haunting songs echoing in the warm twilight. Tomi Akinyanmi, his eldest granddaughter, is present along with the rest of the family, and as she listens to Grandpa’s last words, she feels a resonance deep within her heart. For Grandpa doesn’t talk of regrets, or petty grievances, instead he talks softly about life; how to survive, how to be happy, how to achieve self-respect.
A year on from her Grandpa’s death, Tomi returns to his village. The family bonds have crumbled, no longer held strong by their patriarch. Searching for some link to her Grandpa, in the hope of understanding more, Tomi looks for the journal she once wrote and in which Grandpa would set thought-provoking essays. She finds the journal, but instead of one last essay, she finds Grandpa has left her his thoughts, a continuation of those spoken on his deathbed.
He explains to Tomi that life is a gift, and that it should be treated as such. He also writes of love, and the importance of giving love to others to allow them to love in return. His final words speak of happiness and how it can be achieved through four different disciplines, each balanced and working together.
“Hard work does not mean wealth; Neither does wealth mean class. Age does not mean wisdom, And Love does not mean bliss. Hard work drives vision. Class comes with confidence. Wisdom is found in experience, And love is but a shelter for him who finds it. Amid all the life storms, A man would wade through; Confidence and vision, wisdom and love, Together pull him through.”
“A Worthy Legacy” is a book far greater than its sum of parts; a moral guide that does not preach or command, but simply presents a code for life with a confidence and credibility that allows the reader to relate to and apply its philosophies.
Review: A Worthy Legacy is a very slim book, topping out at 101 pages but filled with inspirational wisdom from a man respected by everyone who knew him--his large family, his neighbors who looked to him for advice in all matters. It's broken into two parts--part one is the author's journey to her family's village, her recollections and stories of visiting him, then her grandfather's last words to his grieving family. Part two is about the story thereafter--on the anniversary of his death family members fathered to mourn, but Tomi has another mission, to find the secret journal the two of them kept.
The wisdom her grandfather passes along to the wives he left behind, the children and grandchildren still learning and growing, is simple wisdom that everyone always forgets or overlooks. He isn't telling them how to become rich or how to set the world on fire, he's relating his experiences and urging them to learn to love what they have, what they can do and not envy others. If the second part is any indication it would seem that the words fell on deaf ears for the most part, as the family had disintegrated into a bickering mass of people who couldn't stand to be around each other.
The book reminded me of a song my father really likes by Baz Luhrman, called 'Sunscreen'. The song itself is actually just the words of a graduation speech a keynote speaker gave in 1997 set to music and Baz's own unique style, but it too was filled with simple wisdom. Whenever my father is really stressed--either from his job, or school or us kids--he listens to that song and it helps to focus him. That's how I felt while reading this book--I won't claim to understand all of what Tomi's grandfather's words meant, but I felt calmer after reading them.
This isn't my normal course of book--there's no wild romance or high flung fantasy or vampires--its a gentle book that in years to come I can return to and offer to my friends and relatives.
Though poetry is her first love, Tomi felt inspired to write this book, her first book so she could spread the words her grandfather told her to the world at large.
Tomi is doing a blog tour to promote her book--July 5th to July 18th. Make sure to stop by and wish her luck!
Other Blog Tour Stops:
Worducopia (July 13th)
Socrates' Book Reviews (July 14th)
The Eclectic Reader (July 14th)
And check out my interview with Tomi!
