About the Book
Love Never Dies is a picture book exploring the stages of grief through the eyes of a child. So many times, people are afraid to talk about death to children. The intention of this story is to bring awareness to the grief stages a child navigates as they come to terms with the finality of death. Throughout the story, the child goes through different emotions as they try to come to terms with the death of a loved one. Questions arise about why people die. Without answering the question, the illustrations enable the space for contemplation and understanding whilst honouring their grief. The book is aimed at children and adults may take solace in reading it too. It allows the reader to explore and understand that their feelings of grief are real and valid. Children have big feelings and rarely know what to do with them. This book offers an opportunity to sit in the space of grief, ensuring the reader they are supported and understood.
About the Author
Isabella Gentilin is an author, artist and therapist. Her interests include anything artistic and creative and she loves being active and cooking for her family. She’s a proud mother of three. She loves to read in almost all genres and takes inspiration from everyday life. She loves music, theatre and anything to do with the arts. She’s always learning and currently completing her Master’s in Writing and Literature. She loves to empower people through her work drawing from life experiences.
Qn 1: Can you tell us more about your book What is it about?
Love Never Dies is a picture book exploring the stages of grief through the eyes of a child. As the child tries to come to terms with the death of a loved one, she asks questions about why people die.
Love Never Dies is a story that allows the reader to sit in the silence of grief as they navigate huge feelings of sadness, anger and confusion. This silence is apparent within the illustrations as they are purposefully drawn in line work and black and white at the beginning. Grief is dark and it’s lonely. The gentle introduction of colour as memories fill her heart come in the middle of the story, offering a distinct change in the process – with fragility and sensitivity. The book is full of symbology, but that is something that may or may not be picked up by the reader. The story focuses on the feelings of grief, ensuring the reader knows that these feelings are valid and real. As grief comes in waves, I thought it be important to create an open-ended ending where the reader can interpret it as they wish and know that grief does not just go away, but something that may take years to overcome – if ever.
Qn 2: Who do you think would be interested in this book, is it directed at any particular market?
I believe that anyone who has grieved or is grieving the death of a loved one will be interested in this book, especially children. It’s directed at children (or parents/caregivers) and anyone who works with children in a healing capacity, be teacher, librarian, counsellor or friend. Even though it’s a picture book, the story is relevant to any age, reminding them that love never dies if you keep the memory of them in your heart.
Qn 3: Out of all the books in the world, and all the authors, which are your favourite and why?
Ooh, this is a difficult question to answer. How long have you got?
When I was a child, I loved any book with pictures in it. I loved exploring the different artistic styles of the illustrator. However, the one that stands out is, The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. This book sparked a light within me and created my love of reading and illustrating.
Nowadays, I read anything from fantasy, historical romance, crime fiction, suspense, horror and, the list goes on. If it hooks me on the first page, I’ll read it.
I continue to add to my collection of inspiring picture books. Some titles include The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle and my most recent picture book purchase, Wabi Sabi by Mark Reibstein (Illustrated by Ed Young).
Qn 4: What guidance would you offer to someone new, or trying to enhance their writing?
Read widely, write often and when you’ve finished, edit thoroughly. Visit literary festivals and listen to successful authors. Set your goals and don’t give up. Never compare yourself to someone else. Don’t be afraid to discuss your writing and stories and network with other authors and writers. Writing can be an isolating task, but it’s so much better when you have a group of like-minded people to bounce ideas off and work with. I attend three different writing groups that include people with various skill sets. We all add value to each other with objective feedback that improves our writing and gives us inspiration to keep going. Build your community of writers and enjoy the process. It’s a great way to obtain diverse book recommendations. Remember, your story can only be written by you, so go for it!
Qn 5: Where can our readers find out more about you, do you have a website, or a way to be contacted?
You can find my books on Amazon and other online bookstores. I am on social media.
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/people/Isabella-Gentilin-Author/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/isabellagentilinwriter/
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@isabellagentilin
X https://x.com/nchantedbybella
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@isabellagentilin4131
Be the first to comment