Grief is something everyone experiences, but no two people move through it the same way.
In her new novel, Shaken to the Core, Miami author Dara Levan explores loss, healing and the search for joy after tragedy.
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Her main character, Joy, lives in Vermont with her husband, Andre. The two Miami natives moved there to build what they believe is their dream life.
The story opens with Joy back in Miami after experiencing the sudden loss of a close relative. In the process of grieving, she starts to question what she wants out of life and what her true passions are. But just as she begins to work through her feelings, her husband receives devastating news.
The story takes readers on an emotional journey through love and loss.
“I think that it doesn’t matter our culture, our background, our age, our religion ... grief is grief,” Levan said. “I think I felt called to write about that because there are always glimmers and rainbows. They are there; it’s just sometimes it’s harder to find them. We have to look harder.”
Levan, a former speech-language pathologist, told WLRN about the inspiration behind the book, its South Florida connection and the themes that shaped the story.
This story has been edited for brevity and clarity.
WLRN: What inspired your novel, Shaken to the Core?
LEVAN: It is a standalone novel, but it does continue a story from my first novel called It Could Be Worse, and that was exploring ending a cycle of narcissistic abuse. The protagonist, Allegra, was a stutterer. Her daughter, Joy — this is her story.
Joy's mom dies suddenly, and then her husband, Andre, receives a devastating diagnosis that really puts them into a tailspin.
So the inspiration behind the book, the particular diagnosis — I don't want to ruin the story — my uncle had it. He just passed from it in November.
I have many, many patients that I treated with it, and friends and family. It's rampant, and I felt that it was really important to represent that in a strong, empowering way.
So we see Joy, as her husband's voice starts to diminish, she has to amplify hers.
After losing her mother, Joy turns to journaling. What moved you to use journaling as a way for her to keep that connection and process her grief?
Interesting subtle tie back to the first book. Allegra used to journal. She was a mindfulness therapist. She used to encourage her patients to do so.
And Joy was always very visual. She was more of the quiet one. That's why she chose photography. And the journal was kind of a nod to her mother in a subtle way, but also a sort of rebirth for Joy to rediscover who she was through processing the grief of her mom.
And so I thought that was not only therapeutic, but also I was hoping that would illustrate how healing, in a very tangible way, goes, and it comes in waves.
And there's a strong theme about voice also, and I know that's one thing — I've had so much loss — that is terrifying: will I remember that person's voice?
So a big part of the inspiration, back to your earlier question, my husband's mother died suddenly right before our wedding, and I had to tell him. She was only 52, the age I am now. So I poured a lot of what I didn't realize was actually kind of buried grief into this novel. People say to me, "God, it feels so real."
Well, it is real. I hope this is also honoring her legacy in some way because we've always tried to keep her alive through story, through talking about her, and that's kind of what Joy's doing also.
Why was it important for you to explore not just the loss itself, but also what happens after?
I think because it's universal.
I think that it doesn't matter our culture, our background, our age, our religion, our... I mean, I can go on and on. That's something that we all will, at some point, confront, grapple with, and I really wanted to show a hopeful story: how, when you have a strong relationship when someone's alive, that can stay with you.
It doesn't matter where you're from or what you believe. Grief is grief.
And I really, I think part of it, 'cause our world is grieving. I feel like there's a lot of sadness in our world, and I think I felt called to write about that also because there are always glimmers and rainbows. They are there; it's just sometimes it's harder to find them.
We have to look harder.
And you're a Miami native. Even though much of the story takes place in Vermont, your characters have Miami roots. Why was it important for you to give them that connection to South Florida?
I went to college at Indiana University in the Midwest, and I learned, you know, we think it's our norm that we have such a wonderful tapestry.
It's colorful — the music, the food, the people. It's just incredible. And so it's exciting for me as an author to weave that into my work because then I get to talk about it, and I feel like, slightly, in a way, educating people.
And I also feel like I'm representing kind of a piece of me, but also a piece of our community.
It's fun. And I feel like, as a creative, if you're not really feeling it and it doesn't feel authentic emotionally, it won't to your readers either.
