The Ongoing Melody Of My Family Saga by Liberto Orrego - REVIEW
A book review by Victoria Walsh
Liberto Orrego is a Chilean primary school teacher and writer. By writing The Ongoing Melody Of My Family Saga, Orrego shows his deep passion for knowledge. His writing has led him to create stories that delve into the complexities of human nature and the essence of being human in our modern age. Orrego studied English Language and Literature, Catholicism, and acted as a counsellor focusing on the individual, the family unit, and children’s education.
Orrego states early in the book that humanity needs to ‘re-engage with the family unit’ to address societal issues like materialism, individualism, and social isolation. This statement is obvious to those who have a family to re-connect with. Orrego is clear in his views that family life can instil love and virtue with a sense of belonging, which he feels is crucial for shaping our identities and can ultimately lift humanity up, making us compassionate and creating a society that values inner virtue over material possessions.
The Ongoing Melody Of My Family Saga is a selection of stories that highlights his views on the meaning of life and offers an alternative theory to modern living. Orrego takes on our fascination with time travel but applies it to a wider context. The key takeaway is that our growth and fulfilment come not from changing the past but from learning from it, living fully in the present, in the moment. The theme of being present but with a foot in the past runs throughout the book.
In chapter one, Grandpa’s Emancipation, Orrego gives us a glimpse into rural life in Chile's Maule region, with its vast vineyards and forests. In chapter two, My Beloved Grandma, Orrego links his relationship to his grandmother with mouth-watering food and the ability to provide a warm and safe home life even in hard times.
If you love food, then The Ongoing Melody Of My Family Saga directly links the taste and smell of different foods to a welcoming home life. As a foodie, I love these references and agree that the smell of particular food (garlic and oregano) can take you to memories of holidays or even Sunday lunch. Like Orrego, food plays a massive part in my love language. In Orrego’s world, ‘The kitchen served as a threshold between the public domain of commerce and the private realm of family intimacy, where two worlds merged.’ The chapter acknowledges the universal experience; the kitchen table is responsible for many negotiations, and not all are beneficial.
If you’re interested in modern Chilean history (I am fascinated by it), you should read the chapter called The Tomato Sandwich Ritual: Chronicle of a Chilean Upbringing in 1973. To give some context, in 1973, Chile experienced a significant and tumultuous event: the Chilean coup d'état. The Chilean military, led by General Pinochet, overthrew the democratically elected president, Salvador Allende. This insurrection marked the end of Allende's Popular Unity government and began a military dictatorship that lasted until 1990. Chapter five talks about the real domestic effects of this change on Orrego’s family and the family business.
The novel is not all sweetness and light, but each family member brings and takes away an element we all recognise. Humans are not infallible; in the passage about infidelity, Orrego tells us about Uncle Mario's past affair and the existence of a child outside their marriage, casting a long shadow over Aunt Fresia's heart. Anyone who can relate to this experience or is the child of an illicit relationship will recognise the heartache experienced by Aunt Fresia, proving that plain sailing isn’t on the cards for most people or families. To be honest, without these challenges and imperfections, life would lack the depth and richness that makes it impactful.
The Ongoing Melody Of My Family Saga makes it clear that the beauty of our human experience lies in its unpredictability, with the lessons we can and should learn from those missteps. After all, navigating the rough means we can appreciate the smooth, acknowledging that imperfections make the journey ours.
The book is a collection of family stories mixed with folktales from indigenous Mapuche, Spanish maritime, and colonial traditions. These tales, particularly Under the Te Tue's Wing, feature mythical creatures infused with moral lessons.
In writing The Ongoing Melody Of My Family Saga, Orrego combines folktale elements with personal reflections, family history, and chronicled events, creating a weave of colourful narratives designed to be passed down the generations. Orrego’s approach not only preserves the essence of these traditions but also highlights the enduring impact of family and cultural heritage on his life and how these life lessons could impact the lives of others.
The book is charming, and the family stories are fascinating, especially for someone brought up in the UK. The descriptions of Chile would work well as a travelogue or an advertisement for travel. However, The Ongoing Melody Of My Family Saga presents a hopeful and romantic vision of family life as a means to heal the world. While inspiring, this perspective may resonate more strongly with those fortunate enough to experience such close-knit relationships.
Family life undeniably plays a vital role in shaping our identities and fostering love and virtue. However, it is not a universal solution to 21st-century challenges, as not everyone has access to the support of a functioning family unit. Orrego doesn’t lecture the reader but kindly points out that there’s more to life than materialism, commercialism, and capitalism. He is correct, but he is possibly too late. Of course, this is my view as it is my book review; you might disagree, and I hope you do. Family is a privilege, not a right or a gift, and we can all take a leaf out of this book next time we take our blood or chosen family for granted.
