Publication Date: July 27, 2023
Set against the vibrant backdrop of Latin America, this semi-autobiographical novel follows the transformative journey of an idealistic, naive Peace Corps Volunteer named Peter, whose life takes an unexpected turn when tragedy strikes his remote village in Paraguay propelling him on a harrowing escape with a semi-homeless 12-year-old boy.
Their journey takes them through an indigenous community, a Mennonite colony, a squatters camp, and, finally, the lawless and chaotic city of Ciudad del Este. There, Peter confronts profound truths about himself, his faith, and the fluidity of memory. With the aid of a kind transgender sex worker who challenges his perspective on life and survival, Peter discovers he must forge a new path to redemption.
Maybe it’s the opening scene where the two young Peace Corps volunteers try to save a cow suffering from killer bee stings by administering six Epipens, but there is just something rather unique about White Cloud Free.
Author Peter Michael Johnson describes it as a semi-autobiographical tale beginning with his assignment in Paraguay. His adventures are unusual, to say the least. The whole removal of parasites from toes scene is quite vivid.
His friendship with Edén, a 12-year-old homeless boy, serves as an anchor as the two get caught up in danger. They find refuge with a transgender sex worker, who plays a pivotal role almost two decades later when Johnson returns to Paraguay.
It’s easy to identify with Johnson’s desire to reconnect with the past, especially since he’s dealing with a failed marriage in his present. However, as he soon learns, memories can be distorted by time or drug-induced perceptions.
Whether you call it quirky or odd, White Cloud Free delivers a message about how a young man’s life changed after a stint in the Peace Corps.
Peter Johnson grew up in Colorado, Wisconsin, and Alabama. He studied English and philosophy at New York University, which somehow qualified him to serve in Peace Corps Paraguay, where he taught beekeeping to rural subsistence farmers. After the Peace Corps, Peter moved to Senegal to compete on the amateur beach wrestling circuit. He has worked for a variety of nonprofit organizations for most of his adult life. His writing (all focused on his experience in Paraguay) has appeared in literary journals including Dappled Things, Seven Hills Review, Rock & Sling and in a feature-length essay in the April 2017 issue of Christianity Today. He makes his home in Southwest Florida with his wife, Ashley, and three children.
