In every report card, in every setting, she was labelled Quiet, a name that stuck. Quiet’s character embodies the emotional story of migration from a child’s perspective: the confusion, the wilful amnesia, and the search for answers. 

Telling Quiet’s story required more than memories, demanding reflection, research and a return to what was nearly forgotten. In exploring how Filipino pre-colonial ancestors used art to express themselves, elements of my identity began to surface, expressed through Quiet. She pieces her story together through memorabilia, her thoughts spilling into each page like words never meant to be read. We uncover them with each page turn, as she begins to recover what she thought forgotten.

This book invites the reader to look deeper, to notice the details, the hidden meanings, offering something to uncover each time you return to it. Quiet’s mementos are more than images on a page, they create a scene as though you hold her memories in your hands. Recollection hopes to remind us, especially those who’ve recently left home, that nostalgia isn’t something to fear, but something to hold.