Just you and I in stormy times

We live in stormy times: terrorism, war, global warming, not to men- tion earthquakes, tsunamis, and flooding. Alone, we grapple with fear, and try to make sense of tragedy, silently hoping that the world will become a gentler and more peaceful place. But if we are unable to comprehend the unthinkable, how can we possibly explain it to someone else? Especially when that someone else is a child. Last summer, four year old Diego was watching television when the news flashed images that the world will never forget. He got up and changed the channel; “it’s for grown-ups,” he said. Fear had entered his life with the truck plowing down Promenade des Anglais. His mother was unable to protect him, because that same fear had ente- red her life as well. How does a parent comfort a child in stormy times? Can we make them feel safe while drowning in uncertainty? In this poetic and intimate “letter” to her child, bestselling novelist Simona Sparaco fearlessly explores life’s bigger issues, passing through darkness and confusion to tolerance and hope.