The Tear Collector - by R M Romero (Hardcover)

About the Book

"In a post-apocalyptic world created by climate change, Malka and her brother, Ezra, learn to survive on an isolated island, where people afflicted by a mysterious illness change into monsters"-- Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

Set after the end of the world, this darkly fantastical climate change tale explores hope, memory, and what really makes a monster.

Climate change culminated in the Flood, an enormous wave that wiped out entire countries. Malka and her younger brother Ezra survived and now live with Dr. Jonas Hollman on the Island, the only piece of land left on Earth. Scavenging useful things from the shoreline under the watchful eye of the Island's sinister leader Mr. Gray, Malka and her family get by. Barely.

But an illness called the Sorrow is changing people into monsters when their memories of the Mainland grow too sad...and Ezra is the latest to get sick. Desperate not to lose her brother, Malka throws herself into helping "Uncle" Jonas with his research to find a cure.

Then her family's dismal lives are turned upside down by the mysterious Olivia, who crashes a plane on the beach. More people are out there, she says. The world isn't lost forever. To save Ezra and the other Islanders, Malka will have to uncover the secrets of her flooded world--and the lies even the people she loves have told her about the true nature of the Sorrow.

R.M. Romero tackles our fear and anxiety surrounding climate change and weaves it through with hope in this beautifully told adventure that will resonate with readers young and old.

Review Quotes

Praise for Tale of the Flying Forest:

"With stunning prose and deeply relatable characters, Tale of the Flying Forest is a love letter to Jewish storytelling wrapped in a fairy-tale bow. As lyrical as a song and decadent as storybook chocolate, this story will sweep you away among its fox-shaped clouds." --Kalyn Josephson, New York Times bestselling author of the Ravenfall series

"A delightful middle grade fantasy that's really quite timeless. It's absolutely charming, with lovely illustrations." --Charles de Lint, award-winning author of The Cats of Tanglewood Forest

"Rich, lyrical storytelling in a breathtakingly imaginative world. A joy to read!" --Sophie Anderson, award-winning author of The House with Chicken Legs

"A powerful story that proves hope can win even in the darkest moments."--Stacy McAnulty, bestselling author of The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl

"An eerie apocalyptic fairy tale drenched in sorrow and ultimately brimming with hope, The Tear Collector is exactly the kind of story we all need right now: a story about the power of love and the endurance of truth."--Hayley Chewins, critically acclaimed author of The Turnaway Girls

"Filled with hope, fantasy, and childlike imagination, R. M. Romero's The Tear Collector weaves together an end-of-the-world story unlike any other, and one that shines a beacon on those that remain behind--as well as the bonds that tie them all together."--Steven Banbury, bestselling author of the Pumpkin Princess series

"R. M. Romero writes like fireworks--bursts of action, sparkling prose, and characters who shine against the deepest dark. I loved The Tear Collector from the first line."--Natalie Lloyd, New York Times bestselling author of Hummingbird and The Witching Wind

"Romero's The Tear Collector reconsiders what it means to hope--actively hope--in a time of darkness and loss. A timely and inspiring work."--Christiane M. Andrews, critically acclaimed author of Wolfish and Spindlefish and Stars

"This gripping fantasy story rises up from a drowning sea that has covered much of the earth. Just at the moment when resourcefulness is most needed, sorrow is turning people on this small island into strange misshapen monsters. With twists and turns and surprises that lift hope out of despair, a brother and sister struggle to discover who is the enemy and who can be trusted before the seas rise again to drown their little colony."--Amy Herrick, author of The Time Fetch and The Tiltersmith

"Urgent, dreamy, and darkly lyrical as the very best fairy tales. The Tear Collector is timely cli-fi and timeless fantasy rolled into a heart-wrenching adventure unlike any other. Everyone needs to read this."--Mary Averling, author of The Curse of Eelgrass Bog

About the Author

R.M. Romero is a critically acclaimed and international bestselling author of fairy tales for children and adults. She is the author of Tale of the Flying Forest, illustrated by E.K. Belsher; The Dollmaker of Kraków and The Ghosts of Rose Hill, both Sydney Taylor Notable Books; A Warning About Swans; and Death's Country. R.M. Romero lives in Miami Beach with her cat Robin Goodfellow and invites you to visit her online at rmromero.com.