The answers to these questions relate to my novel, The Beauty of Tears.
The story is set in post-war Italy from 1948 to 1950 and comprises the above themes; specifically, survival and poverty, grief and loss, deception, control by a villain, love, friendship, family unity, and post-traumatic growth. It is a coming of age historical family drama that will grip you until the end.
The Beauty of Tears is a story inspired by my father who had grown up in Italy during World War II. The story is mostly a work of fiction about struggle and survival while beating the odds in a small Italian village.
Imagine being Roberto, a twelve-year-old child who has to help his father out in his business, forced to leave school. Imagine having to work hard at a weekend market, constantly having to worry about money and basic survival. You have no choice but to act like a grown-up and can’t enjoy your time with school friends. Challenges are imposed on you that shake your world and force you to grow up even more than you already have.
It’s a fight until the very end when a villain crosses Roberto’s path. Who and what triumphs over evil? How can Roberto act like a man when his family’s lives are at stake? Will good triumph over evil?
Is There Beauty In Tears?
The Beauty of Tears is about learning from hardships. As the title suggests, there is an element of beauty in tears. In other words, you cannot see and appreciate the light and joy in life without seeing the darkness of suffering and hardship. After experiencing these challenges, you develop resilience, inner strength, internal resources, and personal growth. Beauty comes after tears and pain.
Embrace hardship and look for opportunities in problems. No-one likes to experience difficulty, but it’s a part of life that must be faced. Learning to manage pain is a strong resource. As long as you have the right social supports and strategies, you can get through anything.
The novel’s concept is about seeking support from others and gaining strength from social support. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. This line of thought is a strong theme in the novel and one that men in the 1940s to 1950s worked hard to avoid. They refused to ask for help due to patriarchal attitudes back then. They were too strong and proud as they felt shame in asking for help. The sign of the current times has changed all that, and some men can now embrace their need for social support and seek strength from others. We are human, after all.
Here is the link to Amazon: http://myBook.to/TheBeautyofTears and other online retailers (Apple, Nook, Barnes & Noble): https://books2read.com/u/bpqwk3?fbclid=IwAR3ypaysu3Tmsl9VOLL1wHlhRuEZoM617XO6Z2XHUTRKPjQDxVD5jatnAxU
If you download the book, I’d appreciate a review on Amazon or other retailers as reviews are GOLD for authors, and allow us to keep writing to inspire and entertain our readers.