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Reviewed by Keith Mbuya for Readers' Favorite
After the death of his mother, Michael LaFleur makes a shocking and perhaps accidental discovery about her, shattering a family history he had believed for decades. While sorting through his mother’s belongings, he finds a letter that reveals how his mother had willingly relinquished custody of him to his father when the two divorced, contrary to what his mother had led him to believe, that his father was the one who had chosen to leave. This revelation forces him to reflect deeply on his tumultuous and turbulent childhood defined by abuse, abandonment, neglect, and constant relocation—being from a military household—and how it affected his decisions later in adulthood as he joined the military, pursued a career in tech, and navigated life, marriage, parenthood, and a journey of spiritual awakening. Discover more in the memoir The Cloud Grows Thin by Michael LaFleur.
The Cloud Grows Thin by Michael LaFleur is a must-read for anyone dealing with childhood trauma, grief, and loss, as well as those exploring spiritual growth. Using anecdotes, vivid imagery, and introspective reflections, LaFleur employs a first-person perspective, taking readers through a chronological sequence of his childhood, all the way to adulthood. It felt like I was taken back in time, experiencing the distinct atmospheres and cultures of Southern California, Illinois, and Wyoming in the 1960s and 70s. The prose is somber, poignant, nostalgic, and raw. Some of the details moved me to tears, especially those of the neglect and abuse LaFleur endured at the hands of his parents. I could feel his fear, dread, confusion, pain, and understood where his sense of unworthiness, in his later years, stemmed from. Despite everything, LaFleur turned out to be the best dad to his kids, proving that it is possible to be hurt and not pass it on to others.
