When her young son is diagnosed with epilepsy, award-winning Colombian-American artist and poet, Ana María Caballero, is devastated and hopelessly confused. As the long journey of healing commences, Caballero eschews traditional medicine and instead turns to a group of alternative healers she’s worked with before, whom she affectionately refers to as her army of “witch doctors.”
A Petit Mal: A Mother's Healing Love Song is a gripping and finely-tuned memoir that tells two intertwined stories—one about Caballero’s son and the other, her quest to understand, and to ultimately heal his epilepsy. Caballero fearlessly details her experiences of motherhood, healing and spirituality, as she and her husband seek alternative healing for their suffering child.
At the heart of the story are her son’s struggles with seizures which are a part of daily life. A deeply personal tour that coils voices, themes and layers that are at once religious, shamanistic, and scientific. A Petit Mal is a hopeful examination of the path that takes them to an unconventional array of healers, from a Western medical establishment to a tour of ‘witch doctors’ of Bogatá, who provide a momentary respite.
I am sure you will enjoy learning about A Petit Mal and Ana's journey, and I would be happy to send you a review copy (finished book or PDF) and arrange an interview.
Ana María Caballero is a first generation Colombian-American poet and artist. Her nonfiction manuscript for A Petit Mal was awarded the International Beverly Prize. She graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University and was a finalist for the Academy of American Poets Prize. Recognized as a digital poetry pioneer for her own innovative work, she is also one of the cofounders of web3 literary gallery, theVERSEverse.
Caballero knows there are many parents who struggle daily to protect their children dealing with epilepsy and other illnesses. She hopes her book offers inspiration, knowledge and “a protective friend” to others on the same path.
