The Annual Migration of Clouds by Premee Mohamed, takes place in Canada where the Earth is no longer recognizable the way we know it now. Reid, the protagonist in the story and the antagonist within herself, deals with a new disease caused by fungi called Cad. Well, new to us but not to them. Similar to swine flu and Covid, Cad is now next in line and more deadly than ever. Similar to other fungi, Cad also roots itself within the very being of the person (muscles, brain, nerves) and is able essentially control/protect its hosts.
Premee Mohamed lays out intricate feelings of love, loss, discomfort and battling against our own minds. Cad in the story plays the role of an inner-child/subconsciousness. Reid goes through different parts of adolescence and adulthood in the story. Her survival tactics and skills are an essential part of a still standing small community barely surviving all while navigating rebellion and feelings of love/crush. Reid, in it of herself becomes a metaphor for life in its raw form (the good, the bad and the neutral).
She hates her Cad more than anything else in the world and she also relies upon it since it’s been keeping her ‘safe’ – safety equates to survival and the illusion of safety/familiarity. This lights the tug of power between Reid and her Cad when she’s accepted to a mysterious school – the last civilization of Earth and technology. Not knowing if this university still exists, Reid fights for her desire to leave the only place she’s called home, her mom and friends.
The Annual Migration of Clouds is a triggering/mind opener for me because I read the book right as the floods in Pakistan started. Though a coincidence, it felt like a sign. The author expresses her own rage through the characters in the book who were suffering due to the state of the Earth, our carelessness about global warming and our attitude towards the planet. This ultimately leads to small and conscious methods to be more aware and reduce my carbon footprint.
It’s a short and easy read; I recommend reading it if you’re trying to get back into reading, especially fiction.
Reference
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