The Tear Collector

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

After an enormous wave wiped out entire countries, Malka and her younger brother Ezra 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. When a mysterious stranger crash lands on their island, the family faces the realization that there are other survivors out there. Perhaps 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.

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.

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 Tear Collector; 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.