The Man Who Could Move Clouds Summary
In her memoir, "The Man Who Could Move Clouds," Ingrid Rojas Contreras takes readers on a magical journey through her family's otherworldly legacy. The book is narrated by Marisol Ramirez and written by Contreras herself.
The memoir is a reflection of Contreras' upbringing in Colombia during the 1980s and 1990s amidst political violence. Contreras was raised in a household bustling with her mother's fortune-telling clients, and her maternal grandfather was a renowned community healer known as a curandero. The family called the power to talk to the dead, tell the future, treat the sick, and move clouds "the secrets." As the first woman to inherit "the secrets," Contreras' mother was equally powerful.
Magic has always run in Contreras' family, but it had never felt like it belonged to her until she suffered a head injury that left her with amnesia while living in the United States in her twenties. As she regained partial memory, her family was excited to tell her that this had happened to her mother decades ago, and when she recovered, she had gained access to "the secrets."
In 2012, spurred by a shared dream among Mami and her sisters and her own powerful urge to relearn her family history in the aftermath of her memory loss, Contreras joins her mother on a journey to Colombia to disinter Nono's remains. The memoir interweaves family stories that are more enchanting than those in any novel, resurrected Colombian history, and Contreras' personal reckonings with the bounds of reality.
Contreras writes her way through the incomprehensible and into her inheritance, tracing her lineage back to her Indigenous and Spanish roots. She uncovers the violent and rigid colonial narrative that broke her mestizo family into two camps: those who believe "the secrets" are a gift and those who are convinced they are a curse.
Through the memoir, Contreras invites readers to embrace the extraordinary power of storytelling as a healing art. Her luminous testament reminds readers that stories have the power to transform and that our heritage is a fundamental part of who we are.
Ramirez's narration is captivating, bringing the story to life in a way that transports listeners to Colombia and allows them to feel the magic that runs in Contreras' family. Her narration is both engaging and emotional, allowing listeners to connect with the author's personal journey and her family's legacy.
In conclusion, "The Man Who Could Move Clouds" is a magical memoir that is sure to captivate readers and listeners alike. Contreras' writing and Ramirez's narration work together seamlessly to create a story that is both personal and universal, reminding us of the power of storytelling to heal and transform.
