Anvil, 2003, softcover, 166 pages, ISBN 9712712990
Cecilia’s Diary is now part of The Philippine Diary Project. The site was set up, owned, and managed by Manuel L. Quezon III. Cecilia’s Diary is being uploaded unto this site; please check back if it’s not all there yet.
PALH has a few copies. US shipping $5, email palhbooks@gmail.com
Inspiring and Healing
Cecilia discovered the healing power of journal writing when she was very young. Her sister had given her a lock-and-key pink diary, and in that journal and many others, Cecilia recorded her thoughts and feelings as well as memorable events. She did not know it, but her diary was her way of practicing her writing. These excerpts from her diary cover the time she was in school until the time she graduated and was about to leave for the US for graduate work.
Praise
“That life can be lived richly and generously is a message in Cecilia’s Diary that teens everywhere need to hear, as they also need to realize from this book how keeping a diary can add a dynamic dimension to the ordinary events of daily life.” (Herminia Menez, Folklorist)
“How far should one go? Teens of the New Age want to know about sex and marriage, school and career, peer pressure and popularity, psychological abuse and child-parent conflicts. So did Brainard’s generation. Cecilia’s Diary tells all. Nothing like reading now another soul cries out to itself when one’s one soul is seeking his way.” (Felice Prudente Sta. Maria, Author)
“Cecilia’s Diary inspires a comparison of the different generations of Filipinas. Regardless of time, the book is a vivid account of growing up, to which all young Filipinas can identify with. It can also serve as a valuable reference to high school students who are keen on starting their own journals. (Erma Cuizon for Sunstar Weekend)
Excerpt
https://cbrainard.blogspot.com/2013/12/excerpt-from-cecilias-diary-1962–1969.html#more
Book Review
Erma Cuizon for Sunstar Weekend