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by Dara Levan (Author)
"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, It Could Be Worse 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.Author Biography
Dara Levan is the creator and host of Every Soul Has a Story, a podcast in which she interviews inspiring people from around the globe. Her calling to impact others began at the age of twelve in her hometown of North Miami Beach, Florida, when she interviewed the residents of the nursing home where her grandmother lived and wrote their stories. As an undergrad at Indiana University, Dara earned a BA in English and pursued a career in journalism but decided to pivot and returned to South Florida to earn her MS in Communication Sciences and Disorders. Dara stopped practicing speech therapy to return to full-time writing. Actively involved in her community, she is currently a board member of the Community Foundation of Broward and board member of Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital Foundation/Memorial Hospital Foundation and the Community Foundation of Broward. Dara served as a board member of the Goodman Jewish Family Services (JFS) of Broward County and Junior Achievement of South Florida. She is also a founding member of the Circle of Friends for the Alvin Sherman Library Research, Information, and Technology Center at Nova Southeastern University. Dara is a member of the Women's Fiction Writers Association, Women's National Book Association, and the Authors Guild.
