Tell Me about Joy - by Kara Kavensky (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A wartime romance. A journalist on the brink. And miraculous reunion that changes everything.

For readers of Eat, Pray, Love, Tuesdays With Morrie and Untamed, this poignant true story reminds us that it's never too late for love.

Kara is a journalist stuck in a crumbling marriage, quietly losing hope. When she's assigned to write a human interest piece on WWII veterans, she meets Bob--a sharp, charming nonagenarian who shares his greatest regret: that he missed out on marrying the love of his life--a woman named Joy.

It's been over 60 years. Joy is somewhere out there. And Bob has one last wish: to find her before it's too late.

What begins as a routine assignment turns into the story that changes everything. As Kara sets out to reunite two long-lost lovers, she's forced to confront the losses and longings in her own life. What unfolds is a moving, unforgettable journey through memory, healing, and the enduring power of love.

Tell Me About Joy is a beautifully written true story about the lives we live, the choices we carry, and the unexpected ways love can find us again--even after all this time.

Review Quotes

"Tell Me About Joy is a delightful tale that makes you believe in the power of love to heal. Author Kara Kavensky unexpectedly finds herself planning the reunion of lovers parted by war while also reclaiming parts of herself lost by abuse. The result is a heartwarming love story that can be a road map for others." -- Betsy Blankenbaker Murphy, author of Autobiography of an Orgasm and documentarian of Something to Cheer About, Althea & Angela, New York in the Fifties

"Kara Kavensky's chance meeting with Bob Albright set him on a path to reclaiming lost love. Her debut memoir, Tell Me About Joy, is so bright with wonder and possibility--even amidst the darkness of her own crumbling marriage--that it just might set you on a reclamation path of your own." -- Jessica Waite, bestselling author of The Widow's Guide to Dead Bastards

"Some books find you exactly when you need them. Tell Me About Joy is one of those books. When journalist Kara sits down to interview Bob, a World War II veteran, she expects a story. Instead, she's tasked with a mission that transforms her beliefs about love and destiny. This memoir captures the living metamorphosis that courage, self-worth, and perseverance offer. It will steal your heart and return it, fuller than before." -- Cynthia Occelli, JD, Strategist to High Achieving Women & author of Resurrecting Venus

"What the world needs now more than ever is a love story that gives us hope. Kara Kavensky's Tell Me About Joy gives us two. First, a beautiful tale about a young couple who parted ways in the 1940s then gets a second chance at love, 70 years later. Second, a most necessary tale about leaving toxic relationships and finding the love we deserve. Kavensky masterfully blends the uplifting, personal story of Bob and Joy's reunion with her own tumultuous journey through divorce and self-discovery in a manner that leaves readers simultaneously cheering for both the writer and her subjects. Kavensky bravely shines a bold light on personality disorders, narcissism, mental health and marriage dynamics. Tell Me About Joy is a necessary reminder that we are never too old to find true love. The book also serves as an important manual for anyone facing the same relationship struggles Kavensky experienced. Both stories are victorious in the end, and that's exactly what we need today." -- Kathryn Bertine, author of STAND, As Good As Gold, and All the Sundays Yet to Come

About the Author

Kara is a strategic communications and public relations professional and has written thousands of human interest stories for a variety of publications. Kara is a professional marketer and entrepreneur, and has owned several businesses, including a Pilates studio. It is an accurate assessment that she has spent her career helping others look good. She also has an experiential PhD in Narcissistic Abuse + Generational Trauma Recovery, and is a role model and inspiration to others for her resiliency regarding the death of her son, Jake.