For me, the cover is an essential part of a book. If thought doesn’t go into the cover, what prompts the reader to believe the rest of the product is any different. Especially for a debut author with no previous following, the book cover is similar to the first impression of an interview. Does this author have the guts to entertain me, to elicit emotion, to teach me something, to take me on a journey to a place I’ve never been before? Unfortunately, not every book with an alluring cover fulfills expectations, but a book that is accurately and interestingly represented by its cover is more likely to catch the eye. If the design seems uninspired, it might be a sign, and the reader will look no further.
I
have had the cover image for Forty Years
in a Day in my head from the onset of the project. The story begins on
Ellis Island where Clare has taken her father as a gift for his ninetieth
birthday. After an emotional morning of touring the immigration museum, they
sit down to rest on a bench overlooking the Statue of Liberty. Seeing the depth
of emotion in her father’s eyes, Clare decides to ask him for the truth about
his family, wondering whether he was willing or able to fill in the pieces of
their lives.
Something
mysterious overcomes him, and the memories seem to flood Vincenzo’s mind. He
begins his story with why his mother, Victoria, had escaped from Italy into
the streets of Hell’s Kitchen, New York. He ends his unsettling disclosure by
telling Clare about the soulless incident that had changed the course of his
life and the lives of his siblings; a secret so atrocious that it took him ten
years to come to terms with the magnitude and the consequences of the crime. In
one afternoon, he shares this gut-wrenching account of their lives and imparts
the wisdom of a lifetime.
I
believe the publisher has captured my vision, and the cover truly represents
the gateway to this incredible story.
Enjoy,
Mona
