In the Wake of Broken Hearts - Paperback

by Helen Martin Ippolito (Author), Jill K. Sayre (Author)

The story begins in the early 1900s, in the small village of San't Arsenio, Italy, when a mother of two dies of a broken heart, leaving her two daughters orphans. One of the daughters catches the eye of a young village man, who sweeps her away across the ocean to Abingdon, Illinois, finding life in America to be beautiful, until she, too, dies from a circumstance her heart cannot bear. The story then moves to Helen, one of her daughters, a high-fashion model in Chicago in the 1970s.

Determined not to follow the pattern of her grandmother and mother, Helen makes her own decisions, facing many challenges, and then, at age 80, she tries to write her and her family's story, but what seems a simple story of love and loss leads her to face her own hidden truths and the quiet betrayals that echo through time.

Set against a backdrop of grief, resilience, and forgiveness, Helen invites readers into the emotional landscape of a woman searching for answers and the courage to face them. She meets a young woman, Jenna, who is facing her own relationship challenges and aspires to become a writer. Helen convinces Jenna to be her ghostwriter, reciting memories and experiences that not only help Helen heal but also guide Jenna toward her own destiny.