Review: Legacy: An Anthology by Various Authors

Title: Legacy: An Anthology    

Author: Various Authors    

Published: April 2015, Velvet Morning Press  

Format: ARC E-copy, 206 pages   

Source: Publisher  

What will you leave behind?

Long
after we’ve left this world, our legacy remains. Or doesn’t. Or remains
only in the minds of those who knew us, those whose lives we’ve
touched. Those we’ve written to, or about.

If you had a choice, what mark would you leave? How should people remember you? Should they remember you?

Fourteen
authors sat down during the month of January 2015, shut out
distractions of the outside world and wrote about the subject. The
resulting fiction and nonfiction stories fill the pages of Legacy: An
Anthology. The book includes stories from Kristopher Jansma, winner of
the 2014 Sherwood Anderson Award for Fiction, New York Times
best-selling author Regina Calcaterra and Canadian best-selling author
Marissa Stapley among others.

Within these pages, there is
laughter, pride and hope. There is romance and rock and roll. Certain
messages are eerie, while others bestow a sense of peace. The
collection, through the discerning lens of each writer, runs the gamut
of the human experience.

My thoughts: I had the distinct honor to be approached by one of the authors, Jenny Milchman, of this anthology to read and review this on my blog. Now, while I don’t typically read short stories, I was curious enough to take on this request. I have only read of that one author previously, but loved the premise of the book and even more, loved that this whole thing was spear-headed by a blogger who I follow and admire, Allison from The Book Wheel.

I loved the idea behind this anthology…the authors each wrote a piece, fiction or nonfiction, on what legacy meant to them. It’s interesting how they each took the same topic and yet, approached it so differently. It also makes you think…what do you want your legacy to be? 

Some of the stories really stood out to me and I’m going to highlight my favorites: 

Apfelstrudel by Vicki Lesage

This is set during World War II and I love stories set during this time. It’s centered around a young girl and her twin siblings who are suddenly sent away from their parents but do not know why. Year later, Edith, the older girl, learns the truth and finds that her mother did leave her with something. A sweet, touching story that I have not stopped thinking about.

Two Kinds of Legacy by Jenny Milchman

I actually had the pleasure of hearing Jenny speak recently at an author event where she had to read a personal essay. She actually read this one, so when I got to this piece, I was pleasantly surprised to already know it. As I was reading it, I could hear her voice in my head. I loved the message it leaves us: What kind of legacy do your actions leave? Jenny tells the story of how an event that happened to her in 6th grade shaped who she became. This one really makes you think about how your actions or words could have a lasting impact on someone else.

Gracie’s Gift by Piper Punches

This is a beautifully heartwarming, yet heartwrenching, story about a grandmother and her granddaughter. They are working on a quilt that is to become a legacy. This story is about learning to let the past go, let go of the guilt that we tend to hold on to and to celebrate life. I’m a sucker for these types of stories and got goosebumps when I got to the ending.

These are just the stories that really captured my heart, but the others are just as compelling. If you’ve read Legacy, share with me what your favorite stories are.