What do you think?
Rate this book
Legacy: An Anthology
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.
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.
- GenresShort StoriesAnthologies
206 pages, Paperback
First published April 13, 2015
9 people are currently reading
453 people want to read
About the author
Regina Calcaterra
3 books346 followersRegina Calcaterra’s memoir Etched in Sand, A True Story of Five Siblings Who Survived an Unspeakable Childhood on Long Island (HarperCollins Publishing, 2013) is a #1 international best-seller and a New York Times best-seller. As a result of Etched in Sand’s messages of resilience, optimism, the plight of foster children, that no child is a lost cause and how we can all positively impact the life of a child in need, it has been integrated into college and high school curricula throughout the U.S. and been selected for community reads. She is also co-author of Etched in Sand’s sequel which she wrote with her younger sister Rosie Maloney, Girl Unbroken, A Sister’s Harrowing Journey from the Streets of Long Island to the Farms of Idaho (HarperCollins Publishing, 2016). Girl Unbroken has also been integrated into college curricula alongside Etched in Sand.
Etched in Sand’s and Girl Unbroken’s impactful messages include those of resilience, optimism and perseverance; how kind acts can forever impact a child in need; the vital role of the public library system, public education and the public university system on impoverished children; how educators can forever impact transient children; that no child is a lost cause; childhood hunger, poverty, abuse, abandonment & homelessness; the power of sibling bonds; risk of homelessness for young adults aging out of foster care parentless; determination to succeed regardless of social status; and breaking the cycles of addiction, alcoholism, child abuse, homelessness and incarceration.
Calls to Action
Etched in Sand and Girl Unbroken have resulted in readers and those who have heard Regina speak: adopting older foster youth; becoming first time foster parents; changing the rules of a food bank that now allow children to get food without no longer requiring that they be accompanied by a parent; further developing the first program at a Long Island library that provides library cards for the homeless to allow them to access all of the library’s resources, although they do not have a permanent address; becoming guardian at litem and CASA members to ensure that every child in foster care has a voice; learning how we can all forever impact the life of a child in need although they may only be before us for a moment in time; and, increasing fundraising goals and/or becoming first time contributors to related community based organizations. Additionally, after learning that foster youth age out of the system parentless, a teen created an annual event called Teens Gotta Believe, where he raises community awareness about the need for adoptive parents for older foster youth and raises funds for You Gotta Believe, a not-for-profit that works towards getting older foster youth forever homes.
Professional Bio
Regina is a partner at the law firm of Wolf Haldenstein where she practices securities litigation and federal civil rights litigation. Prior to joining Wolf Haldenstein, she served as Executive Director to two of the New York State Governor’s statewide investigatory commissions, Deputy General Counsel to the New York State Insurance Fund, Chief Deputy to the Suffolk County Executive, Deputy General Counsel to the New York City Employees’ Retirement System, Director of Intergovernmental Relations to the New York City Comptroller and a partner in a securities litigation firm.
Board & Advisory Positions
Regina serves as the second vice chair to the SUNY New Paltz Foundation Board; as an Ambassador to Library for All, a global effort to eradicate childhood illiteracy in third-world countries; and, on the Advisory Committee to the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. For close to ten years, she served as a board member to You Gotta Believe, an organization that works to get older foster youth adopted.
Honors & Awards
She has received awards and honors such as the: Lifetime Achievement Award, Primi-Dieci Society and the Italy-American Chamber of Commer
Etched in Sand’s and Girl Unbroken’s impactful messages include those of resilience, optimism and perseverance; how kind acts can forever impact a child in need; the vital role of the public library system, public education and the public university system on impoverished children; how educators can forever impact transient children; that no child is a lost cause; childhood hunger, poverty, abuse, abandonment & homelessness; the power of sibling bonds; risk of homelessness for young adults aging out of foster care parentless; determination to succeed regardless of social status; and breaking the cycles of addiction, alcoholism, child abuse, homelessness and incarceration.
Calls to Action
Etched in Sand and Girl Unbroken have resulted in readers and those who have heard Regina speak: adopting older foster youth; becoming first time foster parents; changing the rules of a food bank that now allow children to get food without no longer requiring that they be accompanied by a parent; further developing the first program at a Long Island library that provides library cards for the homeless to allow them to access all of the library’s resources, although they do not have a permanent address; becoming guardian at litem and CASA members to ensure that every child in foster care has a voice; learning how we can all forever impact the life of a child in need although they may only be before us for a moment in time; and, increasing fundraising goals and/or becoming first time contributors to related community based organizations. Additionally, after learning that foster youth age out of the system parentless, a teen created an annual event called Teens Gotta Believe, where he raises community awareness about the need for adoptive parents for older foster youth and raises funds for You Gotta Believe, a not-for-profit that works towards getting older foster youth forever homes.
Professional Bio
Regina is a partner at the law firm of Wolf Haldenstein where she practices securities litigation and federal civil rights litigation. Prior to joining Wolf Haldenstein, she served as Executive Director to two of the New York State Governor’s statewide investigatory commissions, Deputy General Counsel to the New York State Insurance Fund, Chief Deputy to the Suffolk County Executive, Deputy General Counsel to the New York City Employees’ Retirement System, Director of Intergovernmental Relations to the New York City Comptroller and a partner in a securities litigation firm.
Board & Advisory Positions
Regina serves as the second vice chair to the SUNY New Paltz Foundation Board; as an Ambassador to Library for All, a global effort to eradicate childhood illiteracy in third-world countries; and, on the Advisory Committee to the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. For close to ten years, she served as a board member to You Gotta Believe, an organization that works to get older foster youth adopted.
Honors & Awards
She has received awards and honors such as the: Lifetime Achievement Award, Primi-Dieci Society and the Italy-American Chamber of Commer
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
April 18, 2015
Note: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are my own.
What I found so interesting about this anthology is how each author interpreted the concept of Legacy so differently. Each author spun their creative web into each story, reminding me how the seemingly small moments in our lives is what adds up to the legacy we leave behind. I particularly loved the nonfiction stories, 2 Sides of Legacy by Jenny Milchman dealing with bullying and Forever Home by Regina Calcaterra dealing with older children in foster care, which were so powerful in such a short space.
I enjoyed many of the stories and loved discovering the writing styles of new to me authors Stephanie Carroll, J.J. Hensley, and Vicki Lesage.
For more info about the stories I loved, see my full review at Mom's Small Victories (link in the profile).
What I found so interesting about this anthology is how each author interpreted the concept of Legacy so differently. Each author spun their creative web into each story, reminding me how the seemingly small moments in our lives is what adds up to the legacy we leave behind. I particularly loved the nonfiction stories, 2 Sides of Legacy by Jenny Milchman dealing with bullying and Forever Home by Regina Calcaterra dealing with older children in foster care, which were so powerful in such a short space.
I enjoyed many of the stories and loved discovering the writing styles of new to me authors Stephanie Carroll, J.J. Hensley, and Vicki Lesage.
For more info about the stories I loved, see my full review at Mom's Small Victories (link in the profile).
May 11, 2015
How do you want to be remembered?
What do you want to leave behind when you die?
What will be your legacy?
Legacy: An Anthology is filled with several stories, each interpreting legacy in their own way. It was fascinating to read each story and see how each individual author set their own story apart from the other and creatively leaving their mark in the words written on the page. The idea of creating an anthology focusing on the legacies we leave behind captured my attention and left me wondering what my legacy would be. Would only those closest to me remember me after I’ve passed? Or would I leave a bigger mark? These stories reminded me that I don’t have to move mountains or change the world in order to be remembered, but that the small moments, the little things I do, will be my legacy.
What an amazing lineup of authors that contributed to this anthology! Most of which I had never read, but I love discovering new writing styles & talent. Each author had a fascinating take on legacy and what it means. Each story stood out to me for different reasons, however, a few that come to mind are, Forget Me Not by Stephanie Carroll and Forever Home by Regina Calcaterra. Both of these short stories were powerful in their own way & had an interesting take on legacy.
I haven’t read very many anthologies, but the ones I have read, have really sparked my interest and left me interested in seeking out more to check out.
Legacy: An Anthology is one I enjoyed and others will too.
What do you want to leave behind when you die?
What will be your legacy?
Legacy: An Anthology is filled with several stories, each interpreting legacy in their own way. It was fascinating to read each story and see how each individual author set their own story apart from the other and creatively leaving their mark in the words written on the page. The idea of creating an anthology focusing on the legacies we leave behind captured my attention and left me wondering what my legacy would be. Would only those closest to me remember me after I’ve passed? Or would I leave a bigger mark? These stories reminded me that I don’t have to move mountains or change the world in order to be remembered, but that the small moments, the little things I do, will be my legacy.
What an amazing lineup of authors that contributed to this anthology! Most of which I had never read, but I love discovering new writing styles & talent. Each author had a fascinating take on legacy and what it means. Each story stood out to me for different reasons, however, a few that come to mind are, Forget Me Not by Stephanie Carroll and Forever Home by Regina Calcaterra. Both of these short stories were powerful in their own way & had an interesting take on legacy.
I haven’t read very many anthologies, but the ones I have read, have really sparked my interest and left me interested in seeking out more to check out.
Legacy: An Anthology is one I enjoyed and others will too.
May 4, 2016
Was given this book in exchange for honest review.
A nice collection of short stories. My personal favourites are "Nagasaki" and "The Uraniums". It's nice to see the authors' different ideas about legacy - what it truly means.
A nice collection of short stories. My personal favourites are "Nagasaki" and "The Uraniums". It's nice to see the authors' different ideas about legacy - what it truly means.
April 26, 2015
Intriguing collection, of which I am part of, but I discovered a lot of authors in here: David Whitehouse, Paula Young Lee, Marissa Stapley, Piper Punches, lots of amazing stories about Legacy and what part it plays in our lives.
June 19, 2015
This is a Readers' Favorite review: https://readersfavorite.com/book-revi...
Legacy is an important topic, too often overlooked in today’s fast paced society. There comes a time in life, as some of the characters from this soul touching outcome of a fourteen authors’ gathering reveal, when we wonder about the end and what would happen to our loved ones after we pass away. That is, if there are any loved ones to worry about. Even the coldest or meanest of hearts can melt in front of this intimidating unknown which will indisputably become real one day: our own death. In one of the short stories, a young lady’s fear of being forgotten rises to obsessive heights as she tries to make a difference in someone else’s life before dying an uncanny, predicted death. In another, an old, scarred man leaves his last mark upon the earth under the form of a well built wall. Other stories tell of parents gone missing in the narrator’s childhood and his or her journey to rediscovering at least one little piece of memory to hold on to and recover the lost past. Some stories are simply demonstrations of peace making with the inevitable. And it is within that straightforward simplicity that we find the deep meaning of legacy.
A remarkable and diverse collection for all tastes with many styles, approaches and profundities, Legacy: An Anthology by various authors earns itself a place within the reader’s heart. Some stories may be eerie, others may spring hope or let peace settle within the soul, while some might just make you fall on your knees in gratitude for the disregarded gifts you’ve been blessed with. Each story shows a different kind of life heritage and how it can come from the unlikeliest of places. The brilliance of the fourteen authors looks back at the reader through the short voyages into people’s lives as they consider their own legacy.
Legacy is an important topic, too often overlooked in today’s fast paced society. There comes a time in life, as some of the characters from this soul touching outcome of a fourteen authors’ gathering reveal, when we wonder about the end and what would happen to our loved ones after we pass away. That is, if there are any loved ones to worry about. Even the coldest or meanest of hearts can melt in front of this intimidating unknown which will indisputably become real one day: our own death. In one of the short stories, a young lady’s fear of being forgotten rises to obsessive heights as she tries to make a difference in someone else’s life before dying an uncanny, predicted death. In another, an old, scarred man leaves his last mark upon the earth under the form of a well built wall. Other stories tell of parents gone missing in the narrator’s childhood and his or her journey to rediscovering at least one little piece of memory to hold on to and recover the lost past. Some stories are simply demonstrations of peace making with the inevitable. And it is within that straightforward simplicity that we find the deep meaning of legacy.
A remarkable and diverse collection for all tastes with many styles, approaches and profundities, Legacy: An Anthology by various authors earns itself a place within the reader’s heart. Some stories may be eerie, others may spring hope or let peace settle within the soul, while some might just make you fall on your knees in gratitude for the disregarded gifts you’ve been blessed with. Each story shows a different kind of life heritage and how it can come from the unlikeliest of places. The brilliance of the fourteen authors looks back at the reader through the short voyages into people’s lives as they consider their own legacy.
May 24, 2015
I usually don’t read short pieces, preferring a deep dive into a novel or the long exploration of a nonfiction book. The anthology Legacy reminded me what short pieces do so well, experimenting with interesting structures that would get tiresome in a novel but are just perfect in a small dose.
More thoughts on my blog, including the story about how this book came to be: Legacy: An Anthology
More thoughts on my blog, including the story about how this book came to be: Legacy: An Anthology
April 16, 2015
I had the opportunity to read an advance copy of this wonderful anthology. When I had been asked to contribute a story to Legacy, I had no idea how the book would turn out considering the 14 contributing authors write across several genres. It's a fantastic collection and has something for everyone. Official release date is 4/17/15!
December 30, 2015
Review to come.
August 25, 2017
Short thoughtful stories.
May 25, 2015
Last year, I was able to participate in the fun #30Authors event, connecting authors with bloggers and readers. This interaction led to the creation of Legacy, a collection of short stories written specifically for the anthology. This collection includes both fiction and nonfiction pieces, all connected by their exploration of the idea of legacy.
As I say every time I review a short story collection, there were some hits and some misses for me. About half of the fourteen stories really blew me away. Of the rest, I only truly disliked two, where they writing style didn’t work for me. The rest didn’t feel developed enough in the short story format, but I thought they had a lot of potential. Each of these either felt too short for me to begin to care about the characters or didn’t explore the plot as much as I would have liked. That sums up the stories I didn’t like, so rather than share reviews of each of the fourteen stories, I’ll highlight a few of my favorites.
The Uraniums by Kristopher Jansma was a wonderful start to this collection, my favorite of all the fictional stories. The story began with a fascinating hook and some awesome wordplay. The characters were delightfully quirky, described in ways that highlighted what was most unique about each of them. And the idea of the story, of an incredible event never to be repeated, was haunting and intriguing.
Two nonfiction stories, Two Kinds of Legacy by Jenny Milchman and A Forever Home by Regina Calcaterra, were my overall favorites. Both stories were very personal stories for the authors, which I found incredibly moving. In Two Kinds of Legacy, Jenny described her experience with bullying and how this influenced her as a writer. In A Forever Home, Regina talked about her experience as a foster child aging out of the system. She explains that even children who age out can be adopted. For those that aren’t, she shares how hard not having a family can be, both emotionally and practically, as they lack the social support necessary to get through tough times. This one moved me to tears and I can’t recommend it enough.
Four Days Forever by J.J. Hensley and Forget Me Not by Stephanie Carrol could both have been longer, but had such great hooks that I enjoyed them anyway. Four Days Forever moved backwards in time, day by day, which I thought was a great way of playing with the traditional narrative structure. The author captured the gritty feel of a poor city. He also created an impressively complex character, given the length of the story. Forget Me Not took a traditional approach to discussing legacy as what you leave behind when you die, but the element of magical realism with a fated death made the story feel fresh to me.
Apfelstrudel by Vicki Lesage provided yet another reminder that there will always be more stories worth telling about WWII. Although the writing and story were simple, they were also beautiful and moving. Bound by Water by Maureen Foley reminded me of Barbara Kingsolver’s writing because of the beautiful nature imagery and touching exploration of one woman’s love for her land and for her daughter. And last but not least, Gracie’s Gift by Piper Punches explored a complex and moving family situation, which I found especially impressive in the short story format.
In addition to these great stories, there’s another reason to pick up Legacy. All proceeds will go to PAWS for Reading, a charity that allows children to learn to read by reading to therapy dogs and cats. You can learn more about PAWS for Reading here and can find more reviews and author interviews on the Legacy blog tour here.
This review first posted on Doing Dewey.
As I say every time I review a short story collection, there were some hits and some misses for me. About half of the fourteen stories really blew me away. Of the rest, I only truly disliked two, where they writing style didn’t work for me. The rest didn’t feel developed enough in the short story format, but I thought they had a lot of potential. Each of these either felt too short for me to begin to care about the characters or didn’t explore the plot as much as I would have liked. That sums up the stories I didn’t like, so rather than share reviews of each of the fourteen stories, I’ll highlight a few of my favorites.
The Uraniums by Kristopher Jansma was a wonderful start to this collection, my favorite of all the fictional stories. The story began with a fascinating hook and some awesome wordplay. The characters were delightfully quirky, described in ways that highlighted what was most unique about each of them. And the idea of the story, of an incredible event never to be repeated, was haunting and intriguing.
Two nonfiction stories, Two Kinds of Legacy by Jenny Milchman and A Forever Home by Regina Calcaterra, were my overall favorites. Both stories were very personal stories for the authors, which I found incredibly moving. In Two Kinds of Legacy, Jenny described her experience with bullying and how this influenced her as a writer. In A Forever Home, Regina talked about her experience as a foster child aging out of the system. She explains that even children who age out can be adopted. For those that aren’t, she shares how hard not having a family can be, both emotionally and practically, as they lack the social support necessary to get through tough times. This one moved me to tears and I can’t recommend it enough.
Four Days Forever by J.J. Hensley and Forget Me Not by Stephanie Carrol could both have been longer, but had such great hooks that I enjoyed them anyway. Four Days Forever moved backwards in time, day by day, which I thought was a great way of playing with the traditional narrative structure. The author captured the gritty feel of a poor city. He also created an impressively complex character, given the length of the story. Forget Me Not took a traditional approach to discussing legacy as what you leave behind when you die, but the element of magical realism with a fated death made the story feel fresh to me.
Apfelstrudel by Vicki Lesage provided yet another reminder that there will always be more stories worth telling about WWII. Although the writing and story were simple, they were also beautiful and moving. Bound by Water by Maureen Foley reminded me of Barbara Kingsolver’s writing because of the beautiful nature imagery and touching exploration of one woman’s love for her land and for her daughter. And last but not least, Gracie’s Gift by Piper Punches explored a complex and moving family situation, which I found especially impressive in the short story format.
In addition to these great stories, there’s another reason to pick up Legacy. All proceeds will go to PAWS for Reading, a charity that allows children to learn to read by reading to therapy dogs and cats. You can learn more about PAWS for Reading here and can find more reviews and author interviews on the Legacy blog tour here.
This review first posted on Doing Dewey.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews