Woman Who Glows in the Dark

A Curandera Reveals Traditional Aztec Secrets of Physical and Spiritual Health

By: Elena Avila, Joy Parker

Narrated by: Joana Garcia

Length: 12 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's summary

An exploration of the healthful powers of curanderismo, a combination of Aztec, Spanish, Native American, and African medicine, from a registered nurse and professional curandera, advocates a holistic approach to healing, showing how to creatively combine Western and folk medicines.

©1999 Elena Avila, Joy Parker (P)2021 Tantor

love this books, very interesting and informative

I am a reconnecting de-tribalized Purhepecha of the Huichol people, this book helped me so much but there are a few things that makes me wonder if they are truly indigenous teachings or not but still phenomenal story of reconnecting to traditional ways. I highly recommend this for any reconnecting person, if it be south or north we are one people of many nations and being able to connect with other indigenous people helps our communities grow strong.

Beautiful story- narration is cringe

Beautiful story that weaves personal stories with the curandera ways. The language used is dated, as many references to mental disabilities would not be appropriate in this time. It doesn’t bother me, as it shows how much we have grown as a society. However, the voice over needs to be redone. The narrator butchers Spanish and Nahuatl words so bad that it feels like a stab every time she mispronounced a word. I recommend you read it on your own and not be subjected to the disrespect of the narration.

Therapy for mi SOUL

What a marvelous book! It captivated every cell of my body, mind, and soul as a Chicana myself navigating the limited constructs of Western medicine. So much validation received as every word transcended beyond my DNA, into cosmic fields of deliciousness. It was like each chapter gave me permission to continue decolonizing my life, and the world of therapy as a licensed psychotherapist. She was speaking directly to me, to all of us “healers” part of such sacred movement!

Great book, performance is just ok.

Elena’s book is great! The content and teachings are wonderful to learn. My only critique is the performance, there any many important native and Spanish words that are mispronounced. A bilingual reader would have made this audiobook so much more palatable and pleasant to listen to.

Wonderful book, needs different narrator

It’s worth the listen, but unfortunately the narrator botches a lot of the pronunciation, and her animated voices to vary speakers/characters were borderline offensive. I don’t think she quite understood the tone of the book, and overall it would have been a better performance and experience for the listener with someone who is a native speaker and directly invested in the cultural context.

Loved this Curandera book

I enjoyed learning. I enjoyed listening about my people. I highly recommend this book to everyone. Blessings to you all.

Amazing book, rough pronunciation

I have enjoyed everything about this book. The author is phenomenal. I only wish that my language, Nahuatl, were better researched and respected by the narrator or production crew. The narrator does an ok job with the Spanish, but it felt like the Nahuatl was completely neglected. This author deserved better.

Beautiful read

This was definitely a moving book full of spiritual stories, ceremony and transformation. I loved every bit of it. As a psychotherapist, this was an enlightening look at what curanderismo us and is not.

I loved this ❤

I love this book ..so inspiring I really need more like this in my library❤

Can’t with the narrator.

Her voice and over-pronunciation in “Spanish” is distracting. She really takes away from the work.