Book Review: Querna Dose

Have you ever read a book and felt amazed, bothered, surprised at the same time? Or that moment when you had to just pause after reading that one or two paragraph out of the book because you just had to absorb the beauty of it? Or have you ever read a book that revealed so much about yourself and the world, especially about love and all its form? That is what Querna Dose is all about. 

Querna Dose. Para malaman mo na ang sagot kung bakit mas madali maging baliw sa mundong ito. #quernadose #pinoyandproud #pinoylit #nobela

A photo posted by Jho Tacorda (@thereyoujho) on Apr 22, 2016 at 4:11am PDT

Querna Dose is a novel written by Celine Rose Cristobal Gano, a Financial journalist and a graduate of Management of Financial Institutions at De La Salle University – Manila. By the way, she was my classmate way back in grade school. (Yes! Stage friend! Proud of you, Celine)

Querna Dose is about a story of a certain priest named Father Art inside a prison for a crime he did in Sta. Monica, Romblon. The story revolved around the struggles of different people Father Art came across inside the prison. One of which was Paeng, a young man who finds himself in the chaotic world of drugs inside the prison. Their worlds collide but the story unfolds as to how one would try to save a person not wanting to be saved.

Querna Dose challenges us to think about who we are in the world and how we are with the people who are different from us. It makes us understand ourselves and the actions that we do without being righteous against people who do things that are against our principles. It teaches us to love without asking, and love even when it is impossible to do so. Love in all its form is useless without knowing its true source and purpose. It is only when we can love another person until it hurts can we really say we have loved. And only then can we know how strong and capable we are of this unconditional love.  Finding this love means struggling, failing, and most of the time doubting. We start doubting everyone most especially ourselves and some of the times, the Supreme Being. The hardest times of our lives are the true test of our capacity to love and we should embrace that experience. Just like the characters in the novel, learning to love and be loved was the real story behind the cruel world of prison, and people just have to see it harder.

So if you think you know what love really is, at kung Bakit nga ba nakaunat and mga braso pag yayakap tayo? Then I dare you to read this novel, cause there is MORE to Love than what we know.

Here's also a Q&A with the author Celine Gano:

Bakit Querna Dose?

Querna Dose kasi mundo yun nung main characters na sina Paeng and Father Art. Sa rami ng nangyayare sa paligid, I thought it’d br interesting na magfocus lang sa particular world dun, which is yung querna 12b nga (dormitory na walang gang, as explained sa book)

Bakit sa bilibid?

Parang interesting for me  na pagsamasamahin yung mga characters sa ganun kagulong mundo. Parang umikot kasi sa mga broken people yung kwento  kaya san pa mas appropriate silang dalhin kundi sa lugar na puro broken – ang Bilibid.

Anong inspirasyon mo sa book?

Ang inspirasyon ko dun ay isang personal experience ko with a certain someone in my life of having a hard time accpetiong others for who they are, nagging struggle tuloy sa akin to love them dahil di ko mahawa yung first step man lang, which is ang tanggapin sila. The book was a product of the wisdom na natutunan ko from that certain experience. The lesson from that experience kasi liberated me, hence is the book.

Bakit nila babasahin ang Querna Dose? 

 Kung gusto nila ng tipo ng kwento o ng libro na parang nakikipag-usap lang sa isang kaibigan about what’s important in life, basahin nila ang querna dose

Message to readers

Sana pagktapos nila basahin yung libro, mas matuto silang magmahal at mapalapit sila sa source of love.

 

 

  For more information about Querna Dose, please like their FB Page here: Querna Dose - Isang Nobela

Watch the book trailer here: Querna Dose - Trailer

 

Be a #SuperEpic Pinoy

Today is the 117th day of Philippine Indepence, so let me ask this question to you: What have you done for the Philippines lately?

Have you contributed to the country's progress? Have you done something to help others develop? Have you said positive things about our country and other Filipinos? I am hoping you answered Yes to all my questions, but if not there is still something you can do to serve your country and be #SuperEpic.

You might be wondering what #SuperEpic is, and how it can help you become a productive citizen. 

  

#SuperEpic is your guide on how to become a superhero. Yes you reas that right! It has the steps on becoming the hero you were meant to be and it will help you unleash your superpowers. It will definitely help you discover your hidden talents and how you can save the world one day at a time. Still can't beleive what I am saying? Well then read on.

Mighty Rasing the author of May Powers  Ka To be #SuperEpic shares how the youth can be a difference to the country and even to the world. It is an inspirational book that gives the youth great examples of how live life with deeper purpose. He talks to the youth in their own language making it easily understandable and highly relatable. It is like listening to a "Kuya" and getting motivated to be the best person God has created you. 

The book has seven (7) short chapters that guides, motivates, warns, and encourages the youth to start igniting the flame and sustaining it. In my perspective as a teacher learned alot on how to talk to my students who are all youth. The words he used in the book are practical which are some of the things I say now to my students. Most especially about not needing to be rich or have superpowers to make an impact in the world. This is sometimes difficult to make the youth understand as they don't recognize that their merely being a youth or they youth is a valuable resource in itself. But thanks to #SuperEpic I have learned new techniques and have discovered new spiels to tell my class! (Thanks, Mighty Rasing) 

I also enjoyed the inclusion of bible verses and stories in the entire book. It did not feel too preachy but just illustrations of his arguments. If you want to know more of what I am talking about or how you can be #SuperEpic then go to http://besuperepic.com/. You can also buy the book at any OMF Literature Inc bookstore.