Monica M. Culqui

The Power of Being: a Novel Monica M. Culqui

Trying to survive the very 'conditional' love of an antagonistic mother, Micaela's journey of sorrow and pain (physical and emotional) forces her to give up on her dreams. She desperately wants to obtain her mother's love as she tries to assimilate into a new culture while still longing for the one she had to leave behind; along with her only support system. She is made to pursue her mother's chosen career path and to abandon her love of writing and that of becoming a playwright. After several failed romantic encounters, she meets the man she falls in love with at 'first sight' only to realize she allowed herself to be used. In that poignant, heart wrenching moment, the words come back to her and she realizes her Power of Being is not of a victim but of a victor. The story she tells makes us look into our own human frailties and that the mistakes of past generations can sometimes only afflict and not inspire. However, she also reminds us to follow our passions but being watchfull of the places we come from.