Book: ILLEGITIMATELY Blessed: My Journey from Being Black to White to Me

Author: Ricky Weir

Genre: Memoir

Language: ‎ English

Format: eBook and Hardcover

Pages: 393 pages

My Rating: 4.5/5 *

Buy the book here.

About the Book:

‘Illegitimately Blessed’ is a memoir that focuses on the author’s reminiscences of his experiences where he witnessed identity crises and complexities, and eventually, going through different phases of life, he learned to welcome them and making peace with self-acceptance.

The book also aims at narrating a story with motivational anecdotes on conquering over the challenges, cultivating a sense of belongingness by nurturing the strength in cultural contexts, growing self-confidence through the inherited talent (for the author, it’s Football, which is also a powerful backdrop of the author’s growth and transformation, thus serving as one of the anchors in his life’s journey of overcoming obstacles).

The memoir not only talks about topics like racism, identity crises, and belongingness, but also delivers an inspiring message to the readers, where the author’s journey chronicles from being labelled as an outsider to building a community around his aspirations.

Thus, ‘Illegitimately Blessed’ is a brilliantly written memoir by Ricky Weir where you see the author emerging victorious by defying all the odds by writing his destiny with his own hands.

Book Cover:

The book cover is designed with a white football where the pictures of the author are beautifully placed in different rooms, depicting the author’s growth and transformation in different phases of life. In the memoir, the author has narrated his love and passion for football, and somehow, his life has been spinning around the theme of football since early childhood. This is why I liked the book cover very much, because it successfully introduced the readers to the central theme of the book, as well as giving hints about what’s waiting inside this wonderful memoir.

A Glimpse of the Book:

‘Illegitimately Blessed’ is the memoir of a boy who has lived it all – through challenges, heartbreaks, failure, and slowly, overcoming them to climb the ladder of success, and then, finally, emerging victorious and climbing to the pinnacle of success.

From his childhood spent in a constant search for ‘identity’ and ‘belongingness’ to seeking refuge in self-acceptance, this memoir chronicles the journey of the author who learned life’s lessons through bitter-sweet experiences.

The book starts with the author’s reminiscence of childhood when the secret of his birth was revealed to him. It was just the beginning of surprises waiting for him. Then, he kept sharing his sweet and sour days of childhood in the memoir, writing about his family and how he was guided to keep his head high in a community where he often felt like an outsider.

Like a book of life, this memoir slowly unfurls the tumultuous days of adolescence and youth when the author becomes a believer in the wonders of life. The author has written about his memories of his first date with a girl, the nervousness of the first meeting, the joy of the first kiss, the excitement of getting the first job, reaching the crucial point when he asked himself about his career transition, finding a purpose in pursuing passion, and many more.

Therefore, this memoir not only offers you an introspective journal of life but also narrates a story oozing with perseverance, spirituality, and self-discovery.

Writing Style:

The narration of this memoir is lucid, written in a simple language. The author has narrated his life journey through a series of experiences and shared his opinions on everything with a strong voice. Therefore, this book offers you a pacy read where you will find the author telling you his story and appreciating life’s challenges as a blessing in disguise.

A Quote to Remember:

“It would prove to be another defining moment in my life, another juncture, where in an instant I decided that the path I was walking wasn’t taking me in the direction that I had envisaged for myself.”

The X-factor:

The thing I loved the most about this memoir is the author’s honesty. He is extremely talented in writing with heartfelt emotions and connecting with readers with his straight-from-the-heart approach.

Many times, I paused my reading and pondered upon the words I just read; for example, this line: “The first incident that I vividly recall is the moment when my adoptive parents told me shortly before my fifth birthday that I was in fact adopted…” How could I proceed to my further reading after coming across something so deep, profound, yet heartbreakingly beautiful like this?

Another such line was: “I couldn’t shake the feeling that this decision would change my life forever… but for better or worse?” I paused again. Isn’t it the same situation where we find ourselves over and over? This one question takes us to inner reflection, and the same happened with the author.

With such notes of self-reflection and a salutation to life’s surprises, this book stands out as a memoir filled with personal victories and emotional ponderings.

My Recommendation:

If you are looking for a memoir to delve into a reading journey with sweet and sour memories, a memoir of finding inspiration from a person who has seen it all yet he stands strong, and a memoir to cherish the journey of life from a refreshing perspective, I would recommend ‘Illegitimately Blessed’ by Ricky Weir.

This book not only teaches you how the power of acceptance paves the path to success but also shows you the power of trusting the universe and walking on the path following your heart’s call. If you are looking for such a memoir, then ‘Illegitimately Blessed’ is certainly your next read!