Publication Date: March 12, 2024
“Visceral and moving,” (Andra Watkins, New York Times bestselling author), It Could Be Worse is a tale of acceptance and awakening—but not necessarily forgiveness—that reminds us we can choose how our stories end.
Mired in self-doubt and blind loyalty, Allegra Gil suspects her charmed life may be a gilded cage. She has a devoted husband, Benito, two loving children, a thriving therapy practice, and lifelong friends. But when a surprising discovery in a piano bench reveals a shocking family secret, Allegra questions everything she thought she knew about the two people who raised her. Was it true? Did her father, a respected pediatric neurosurgeon, harm instead of heal? And Allegra’s mother—how much did she know?
As the past threatens the present, Allegra plays the song of what was, what is, and what may never be in this “powerful and poignant story about letting go” (Jean Meltzer, international bestselling author of The Matzah Ball).
Composed with the cadence of a waltz—up, up, down—through flashbacks to childhood memories in Miami and a music camp in Michigan, It Could Be Worse is a heartwarming, at times heart-wrenching, multigenerational story of a woman supported and embraced by many while shaken to the core by a few. “The gorgeous prose and raw, unflinching narrative both heal and inspire. A stunning debut.” (Samantha M. Bailey, USA Today and #1 international bestselling author of Woman on the Edge)
Dara Levan writes about love, loss, resilience, and how radiance emerges from our breaking points. She’s the founder and host of the Every Soul Has a Story podcast and blog. A graduate of Indiana University, Dara is a former pediatric speech-language pathologist who lives in Fort Lauderdale. Learn more at daralevan.com.
Dara Levan opens the reader’s eyes to a unique type of emotional abuse in It Could Be Worse. A family of four is led by a narcissistic father and a self-absorbed mother. Allegra is the daughter that will never be good enough—never!
Told in the present day and mixed with flashbacks, Allegra has married a man who finds her worthy of love and respect. Benito is also protective as she receives never-ending criticism, which her parents dish out. But knowing how sensitive Ally is about seeing the good in her parents, Benito tries to support her without demands. Although, how much can he bear witness to and what about when his children are part of the story?
Ally spends her life filling in the gaps of what her parents failed to give her. She becomes a therapist who listens and helps others see a positive path, and she strives to be a mother who nurtures and loves without any reserves of selfishness.
This up-close-and-personal telling of a dysfunctional family with not one but both parents with Narcissistic Personality Disorder demonstrates the erosive effects on a family unit and the toll it takes on a child who grows up and tries to escape this abusive upbringing.
Can Ally find the truth of her worth? Can she admit the truth of her parents’ mental illness?
As a therapist, Ally runs across patients whose stories trigger her trauma. As a reader, one may find either sympathy or empathy for the character, depending on whether this life of emotional abuse is familiar.
The author writes with heavy description, likening this fictional tale to a painting with depth—too many layers of color distract the picture that began as a masterpiece. However, it is essential to highlight the subject matter.
It Could Be Worse is both the title and the mantra of a woman who suffers at the hands of two parents with Narcissistic Personality Disorder. 
Dara Levan writes about love, loss, resilience, and how radiance emerges from our breaking points. She’s the founder and host of the Every Soul Has a Story podcast and blog. A graduate of Indiana University, Dara is a former pediatric speech-language pathologist who lives in Fort Lauderdale.
