“Visceral and moving,” (Andra Watkins,
New York Times
bestselling author),
It Could Be Worse
is a tale of acceptance and awakening—but not necessarily forgiveness—that reminds us we can choose how our stories end.
Mired in self-doubt and blind loyalty, Allegra Gil suspects her charmed life may be a gilded cage. She has a devoted husband, Benito, two loving children, a thriving therapy practice, and lifelong friends. But when a surprising discovery in a piano bench reveals a shocking family secret, Allegra questions everything she thought she knew about the two people who raised her. Was it true? Did her father, a respected pediatric neurosurgeon, harm instead of heal? And Allegra’s mother—how much did she know?
As the past threatens the present, Allegra plays the song of what was, what is, and what may never be in this “powerful and poignant story about letting go” (Jean Meltzer, international bestselling author of
The Matzah Ball
).
Composed with the cadence of a waltz—up, up, down—through flashbacks to childhood memories in Miami and a music camp in Michigan,
is a heartwarming, at times heart-wrenching, multigenerational story of a woman supported and embraced by many while shaken to the core by a few. “The gorgeous prose and raw, unflinching narrative both heal and inspire. A stunning debut.” (Samantha M. Bailey,
USA Today
and #1 international bestselling author of
Woman on the Edge
)
Dara Levan writes about love, loss, resilience, and how radiance emerges from our breaking points. She’s the founder and host of the
Every Soul Has a Story
podcast and blog. A graduate of Indiana University, Dara is a former pediatric speech-language pathologist who lives in Fort Lauderdale. Learn more at daralevan.com.