Author Janet Perroni chronicles the fascinating life of, “Ava,” a beautiful woman from an Irish immigrant family in Boston,
looking for love and acceptance during the challenging afterglow of WWI
Janet Perroni was born and raised in Boston, MA. Following her graduation from Boston Public Schools, she attended Boston State College. Four years later, she graduated from college with an RNBSN. The
next few decades of her life were dedicated to her family and nursing career. Perroni wrote two manuscripts in her early years and they were declined. She had no formal writing training, only liberal arts classes when she was in college. There has always been an inner voice motivating her to write. In a sense, her debut novel, “Ava,” was a self-exploration of her inner strength
and ability.
Set in the 1920s during a time of awakening for many American youths, a beautiful young woman sets out on a journey of love, acceptance, and independence in the entrancing novel, “Ava” by Janet Perroni. Following the end of WWI, readers are introduced to the novel’s namesake, Ava, the daughter of an Irish immigrant family living in Boston, as she sets out for love and a husband but encounters various obstacles and hardships while trying to set her path for success.
After a suave and handsome sailor leaves Ava pregnant, she becomes an unwed young mother facing scrutiny and heartbreak while struggling to fight the stigmas of a judgmental society. Following a series of abuse and bad decisions, Ava eventually comes to learn the power of her sexuality and beauty, including exchanging sexual favors with her landlord to pay the rent and a doomed affair with her employer’s son, however she knows this lifestyle is not sustainable. Ava battles to maintain the delicate balance between motherhood and independence in an antiquated world that loves to shun and although her path is twisted and rife with despair, she eventually finds the strength to stand on her own.
“I not only wrote this book to provide a piece of escapism during these turbulent times but also to help shed light on the stigma still surrounding unwed mothers,” said Perroni. “We live in a biased society and I want women to feel empowered by Ava’s journey that they too can overcome societal pressures and learn to survive and persevere.”
“Ava” is a heartbreaking yet empowering story of the life of one woman, a flawed yet highly sympathetic human being. We have all known someone like her. It’s a fascinating, detailed look into the world of the past-1920s and 30s in Boston, to be exact. We follow her journey as she looks for love. Her first encounter is with a handsome sailor who takes her virginity and leaves her pregnant. His ship suddenly departs, and she never sees him again. Alone she fights the stigmas of society being unwed. She learns to use her beauty and body as tools to survive. Later she becomes involved with a rich, married man from Brookline. They travel to Italy, and life is wonderful until she becomes pregnant a second time. Then his estranged wife returns. The plot is spiced up with emotional eroticism. She battles to maintain a balance between motherhood and independence in an antiquated world and finds strength on her own after suffering a mental breakdown and more.
What was the most difficult part of writing this book? The most rewarding?
The most challenging part of writing this book was that it took me three years to write “Ava.” In the beginning, I used my writing as a hobby especially, in the New England winters that have been long, cold and boring. This is even more compounded now with the coronavirus. I think we can all relate to that!
Major challenges were blending creative ingredients to bridge the plot, characters, setting, tempo and flow into an engaging end product of the book. Not only did I not have any background in writing: I am not even good with computers!
I must mention the writer’s hidden anxiety disease of ‘worthlessness’ plagued me many times.
It truly was a journey of self-exploration, inner strength and discipline.
The most rewarding part was seeing the end product of the book in print and the character “Ava” come alive! Later I received Eric Hoffer’s book awards and positive reviews for “Ava” which still astound me
What do you hope other people will take away from reading your book?
“Ava” is a novel, and I hope the reader will immerse themselves in it to find enjoyment in her exciting journey!
It can be compared to life’s issues: yesterday and today, even though the setting is after WWI during the Roaring Twenties and into The Great Depression. It gives the reader a chance to examine alcoholism, poverty, lack of food, premarital sex, abuse, sibling rivalry and political issues. The book has a little something for everyone!
What do you know now that you wish you’d known at the beginning of your writing journey?
It is always an obstacle to find the time to write, and to work with one’s anxiety of writer’s worthlessness. The payoff of overcoming these obstacles can be great!
What is next for you?
Currently, I am in the process of writing a sequel to “Ava!”
How can our readers get a copy of your book?
To purchase “Ava,” please visit Amazon, Barnes and Noble, IUniverse Bookstore Website, or her website at http://www.jperroniauthor.com/.
What is the best way for our readers to connect with you?
The best way for readers to connect with me would be on my website https://www.jperroniauthor.com/. I am also on Goodreads.
