Imelda Lahoz Argel has shared her whole life in her book A Pebble That Floats – A Memoir To Inspire.
It is interesting to read how she achieved all her personal and professional milestones.
Imelda’s life story is inspirational for many reasons
It is inspiring how Imelda strove to do her best in every situation she faced.
She excelled in her professional life and managed the difficulties in her marriage with a lot of grace.
She put in efforts to ease many of the challenges faced by the immigrants trying to build their lives in a new country.
Imelda was born into a prestigious and financially well-off family in the Philippines in the late 1940s.
She has described the social environment of her home country in those times as conservative and more favorable towards males.
But what worked in her favor was her family’s positive attitude towards education and career aspirations.
One main topic of the book is the unexpected and unfair situations Imelda had to face in her life.
But she begins her book with a beautiful description of her current home and life in Australia.
Similarly, she ends the book with some more nice details about her life there.
Imelda’s golden beginnings with family and career
Her parents were well-educated and had distinguished careers. They ensured that all their children followed the same path of good education and rewarding careers.
Imelda’s family valued qualities like hard work, dedication, loyalty, honesty, and moral uprightness.
She and many of her siblings followed in the footsteps of their parents and earned a law degree.
Imelda was bright as a student and also quite active in co-curricular activities while in college and university.
In the book, she says that good communication skills and an organized thought process were her strong points even as a student.
Her fellow students and her teachers admired her for these qualities.
Her successful social and professional life
Imelda always had exposure to an active social environment because of her parents. They held good positions as professionals and had a broad social and professional network.
After attaining her Bachelor of Law degree, Imelda took the first steps toward her highly successful career in this field.
She says in the book that she was fortunate enough to work with good people and learned the ropes of her trade well from the very beginning of her professional life.
She mentions a long list of mentors who helped her get good training and experience that enhanced her professional skills.
Over the years, Imelda developed a social and professional network of her own.
People admired her for her work ethic and integrity.
She also valued these qualities in the people who became part of her life and supported her when she needed it.
A big turn in her life after marriage
After experiencing success in her work, Imelda looked forward to similar goodness in her personal life.
She says that she was looking forward to love and companionship in marriage.
Her parent’s marriage was an example of a happy married life. She hoped to have the same in her life.
But things went wrong. It is surprising to read about the situations Imelda had to face and deal with after her marriage.
She was successful and well-respected in her professional life. It is heartbreaking to know what she was going through in her personal space.
Moving away from home and facing new struggles
Imelda had to take the difficult call of moving to a foreign land after reaching a point in her marriage.
It had become difficult for her to lead a peaceful life in her own country. After moving to Australia, she had to rebuild her life from scratch.
But as a mother, she was determined to give her son a good and decent life.
Imelda had to struggle to reshape a career in the field in which she loved to work.
She put all her energies into gaining the required educational qualifications to pursue legal practice in Australia.
With her determination and courage, Imelda succeeded in doing that.
She also realized her dreams and hopes for her son.
This time, she was fortunate enough to find a companion with whom she eventually could have a content and happy life.
My view on A Pebble That Floats A Memoir To Inspire
You have to read the book to get to know the whole story. She has shared her story in a straightforward and honest tone.
She has not portrayed herself just as a victim of a bad situation. Her words mirror all the emotions she felt during different phases of her life. She has generously talked about all the people who stood by her through her highs and lows.
Imelda’s book conveys a story of grit, daring, dedication, and endeavor in life.
Read The Review Of – In Other Words By Jhumpa Lahiri
Wow, what a beautiful woman! I admire all women who have the courage to flee a bad marriage to protect their children and themselves.
She had the energy to move to another country, and that is not easy. I know this because I have already moved to two other countries. Working and studying while you have children is really admirable. I admire such women who have the energy to keep going towards a better life for their children and themselves. Actually, I think I am ordering this book, and I hope that you bring on introductions of other books of such beautiful women. As a woman, we have to keep together! Thank you so much! I believe her story is the story of many women! 🙂
Yes, I agree with your statement. Imelda is beautiful. Her life story is an example of great strength and courage.
Sylvia, your life seems to be no less. It seems you too have had the spirit to overcome difficulties for the sake of your children. This is the true meaning of a woman and a mother. I wish you all the best in all that you do.
Thanks for reading and appreciating my review. As you have said, I would like to include a lot more such stories on my blog. Thank you for the great feedback.
It’s quite an interesting read! I felt like reading the mini version of the book. You created an urge to read the entire book. Burying oneself into these kinds of books will bring determination and motivation. I’m definitely going to read this one. Thanks for the wonderful review!
Thank you, Kavitha for your kind words. It is always heartening to receive such feedback. I am so glad that my review has appealed to you and you want to read the book. I am sure you would thoroughly enjoy reading Imelda’s story.
Please do come back here to share your views once you have finished reading the book.
Hi Deepshikha,
thank you for sharing with us a review for such a wonderful book. I am a passionate reader and have read many books so far. I always get excited again and again when I read the suggestions for some book. But I choose carefully what I read. What I like most are real life stories from which I can learn lessons. I learn from examples from my own and other people’s lives.
I like a story of Imelda. She reminds on me a lot. I have also achieved success in the field of education and work through struggle and dedication. Although I have no experience in the field of marriage I can understand what she went through. I love reading about brave women who have gone through heartbreaking and difficult situations and yet achieved tremendous success.
I think that failure is a blessing in the some way because it encourages us to be better.
I will definitely read a book and can’t wait!
Keep up an amazing work!
All the best,
Danijela
Thank you, Danijela. Thanks for reading and appreciating the review. I agree with you that the book is amazing. I feel Imelda’s life story is truly inspiring, not just for women but for anyone who is facing any kind of difficulty in life.
I appreciate that you have achieved success in your life through dedication and perseverance. I am sure that makes your life also an inspiration for others around you.
You would enjoy reading this book.
Thanks for your comment. It is a great encouragement for me.