Rich Marcello's Blog

Dear Readers,

I’m thrilled to share some exciting news about my novel, “The Means of Keeping,” which was released today, July 12th, 2024. After three years of in-depth research and countless hours spent weaving together the intricacies of our current climate challenges with the emotional depth of human relationships, I am eager for you to experience this journey.

“The Means of Keeping” is a climate fiction novel that strikes a delicate balance between contemporary and literary storytelling. Set in a near-future America, it tells the story of lifelong friends, Tereza Allard and David Luca, who face the devastating consequences of a climate crisis-induced tragedy that claims the lives of their families. This novel explores their journey through grief, the rejuvenating power of friendship, and the indomitable human spirit striving for renewal through activism.

What makes this novel particularly close to my heart is not only the timely subject of environmental change but also the exploration of the profound impacts such crises have on personal lives. This story is a call to acknowledge the deep-seated fears we share about our planet’s future and a depiction of one path forward through community.

The narrative style of “The Means of Keeping” might remind readers of Kazuo Ishiguro’s introspective depth, combined with the environmental consciousness akin to Barbara Kingsolver. It is crafted for those who cherish not just a gripping tale but also a reflective lens on the pressing global issues that touch us all, whether directly or through the media we consume.

Both Tereza and David offer compelling portraits of resilience and complexity that, I hope, will draw you into their world. Their individual and shared experiences provide a deep well of empathy and understanding, making them characters that resonate across different audiences. Their story is not just about the endurance of their platonic love but also about the strength and healing that comes from facing one of humanity’s existential challenges together.

I had the privilege of receiving feedback from Rebecca Givens Rolland, author of “The Art of Talking with Children.” She notes, “With a beautiful, complex relationship between Tereza and David at the novel’s heart, and the terrifyingly familiar scenario of climate disaster as the setting, ‘The Means of Keeping’ is a real feat. Marcello’s meditations on the climate crisis are deftly communicated through an interpersonal web that feels lived in, moving, and, most importantly, real. It’s rare when platonic love is the centerpiece of a novel, and it’s also rare when a novel intelligently and empathetically engages with our responsibilities as citizens to the planet. ‘The Means of Keeping’ does both.”

I am deeply excited for you to dive into “The Means of Keeping” and join in this conversation about our world, our responsibilities, and how we can all contribute to a better future. Your engagement, dear readers, is what truly brings this novel to life, and I am looking forward to hearing your thoughts and discussions about the story and its implications.

Thank you for your continued support and for joining me on this incredible journey.

Warmly,

Rich Marcello

P.S. The reviews so far have been positive.  Below are some of the highlights.

This semi-romantic, semi-post-apocalyptic novel spins an electrifying tale of love, loss, friendship, and activism in a climate-challenged near future America. Takeaway: Touching story of non-platonic friendship, loss, and grief amid climate disaster. Comparable Titles: Charlotte McConaghy’s Migrations, Meg Little Reilly’s We are Unprepared. ––Publishers Weekly Booklife

The concluding chapter is exceptionally well-conceived and touching and will move the audience. Readers concerned with climate change who are looking for a story that explores how it can drastically change lives may find this book is just what they are looking for. Some will likely list it as a favorite book of the year. ––The US Review of Books

Loved it! With its haunting prose and evocative imagery, the novel invites us to envision a future where love, resilience, community, and a strong commitment to our planet guide us towards regaining our collective humanity. ––Reedsy Discover

Marcello’s prose is elegant and evocative, capturing the nuances of human emotions with sensitivity and depth. The environmental challenges mirror the characters’ internal turmoil, emphasizing the interconnectedness of personal and global crises. The narrative prompts readers to reflect on how individual experiences intertwine with broader societal issues, urging collective action in the face of adversity.  Marcello’s profound examination of characters’ emotions, motivations, and relationships results in an immersive and thought-provoking experience. A beautifully crafted novel that delves into the depths of grief, love, and resilience with grace and insight. ––The Prairies Book Review

When reading The Means of Keeping, tread carefully into each chapter. Be intentional with the process. Carve out a weekend for yourself. Or an hour out of however many days it’ll take you to make your way through this book. Otherwise, you might find yourself stealing minutes out of your daily routine, condensing tasks to free up enough precious time to sneak in a paragraph or two here and there, squeezing in a few pages in environments that will just barely grant you the permission to. At the end of it, you will want to sit with your feelings. To hold them in both hands and turn them around, viewing them from all angles to better make sense of them. Parts of us all are hidden in this book and we may need to confront the difficult emotions dredged up by this story. In the end we will be better for it. The book will sit beside you with patience as you do so. As will Tereza and David. The answers you seek, or the comfort you need lies somewhere in their tribulations. Marcello possesses the rarest of talents. He takes a universal problem and distills it down to its essence. He writes words that resonate. Words I wish I could untangle from the sticky web of my thoughts just so I could read them afresh, with brand new eyes, and learn something new that I might have missed the first time. Then do it all over again for, perhaps, a lifetime. ––BookNerdection

This semi-romantic, semi-post-apocalyptic novel spins an electrifying tale of love, loss, friendship, and activism in a climate-challenged near future America. Old-flame best friends Tereza and David seek each other’s companionship after a deadly “microburst” in a thunderstorm claims the lives of their partners and kids. For eighteen months of loss and loneliness, Tereza sleeps with men to substitute for her dead husband, Luke, while David drinks too much in pursuit of continued fidelity to his dead wife, Anna. Eventually, Tereza comes back to David’s life, and they both find what they need to deal with grief. Marcello’s narrative is compelling as it captures these complex protagonists’ raw desperation and need as they face life bereft of their companions. The novel’s first half is particularly gripping, with Marcello employing flashbacks with much haunting imagery, enriching the flow of the narrative present rather than disrupting it, and offering an intoxicating take on the storm’s aftermath, as Tereza and David are haunted by ghosts of the past. Romance is in question throughout. While Tereza resists the idea of new love, David’s feelings are more ambiguous, as he’s harbored a lifelong love for Tereza, which Marcello utilizes to draw a laser-sharp focus on the theme of environmental activism, highlighting how the duo’s unconventional dynamic mobilizes their anguish. Soon, they’re spearheading a sustainable community called Keeping to counter the climate crisis. The Means of Keeping offers something rare in climate fiction: persuasive hope. Takeaway: Touching story of non-platonic friendship, loss, and grief amid climate disaster. Comparable Titles: Charlotte McConaghy’s Migrations, Meg Little Reilly’s We are Unprepared. ––Publishers Weekly Booklife

A moving cli-fi novel exploring the physical, psychological, and interpersonal issues that accompany the climate crisis The Means of Keeping is complex, emotional, and stuffed with fun, obscure pop-culture references, from Radiohead and Elliott Smith to films that David and Tereza are both drawn to. Its complexity, as well as the fact that it spans almost an entire lifetime, makes it read almost like multiple books. As a whole, it adds up to more than the sum of its parts. The will-they-wont they of David and Tereza’s relationship acts as the glue binding this book together. Rich Marcello’s The Means of Keeping falls easily under the climate fiction umbrella, but a literary bent pervades along with a complex, less-steamy multipart romance that will keep the reader guessing. And this is where The Means of Keeping breaks the mold of other cli-fi novels before it: The focus on love, on relationships, and the battle between the practical and emotional in a world striving to survive. ––The Independent Book Review

The Means of Keeping by Rich Marcello takes readers on a profound journey that brings together real-world climate issues and the fictional world. As readers follow the journey of best friends David and Tereza, they will experience a compelling contemporary fiction that discusses poignant social, political, and economic topics through an immersive story. A standalone book that leaves a lasting impact on the reader. The Means of Keeping is a book that effortlessly brings together real-world crises and the fictional world. Marcello will have readers pondering what they want out of life and for future generations when venturing into this new contemporary fiction. ––The Book Review Directory

Readers will immediately recognize Marcello’s professionalism in his writing. His sentences are fluid without laboring or being overly stylized. He strives to create complex characters and situations with real-world emotions and implications. David and Tereza are multi-faceted characters who will engage and affect the readers. The concluding chapter is exceptionally well-conceived and touching and will move the audience. Readers concerned with climate change who are looking for a story that explores how it can drastically change lives may find this book is just what they are looking for. Some will likely list it as a favorite book of the year. ––The US Review of Books

Loved it! An emotive, intimate and often powerful drama placed against the backdrop of climate change. The Means of Keeping is set in a near-future America and follows lifelong friends Tereza Allard and David Luca, who are devastated by a climate crisis-induced tragedy that claims the lives of their families. As they navigate their profound loss, the story poignantly captures the intersections of love, renewal, environmental activism, and the quest for meaning in a world teetering on the brink of irreversible damage. The narrative style weaves the introspective depth reminiscent of Kazuo Ishiguro with the environmental consciousness of Barbara Kingsolver. It is designed for readers who seek not only a compelling story but also a reflection on the broader issues facing our world today. With its haunting prose and evocative imagery, the novel invites us to envision a future where love, resilience, community, and a strong commitment to our planet guide us towards regaining our collective humanity. ––Reedsy Discover

Marcello’s prose is elegant and evocative, capturing the nuances of human emotions with sensitivity and depth. Through David and Tereza’s journey towards healing and acceptance, Marcello explores the transformative power of grief and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity. Marcello deftly intertwines this personal struggle with the looming backdrop of the climate crisis, infusing the narrative with urgency and relevance. The environmental challenges mirror the characters’ internal turmoil, emphasizing the interconnectedness of personal and global crises. The narrative prompts readers to reflect on how individual experiences intertwine with broader societal issues, urging collective action in the face of adversity. The novel unfolds at a measured pace, allowing readers to immerse themselves in the characters’ inner thoughts, emotions, and relationships. While some readers might find the slow pace and focus on internal reflections challenging, Marcello’s profound examination of characters’ emotions, motivations, and relationships results in an immersive and thought-provoking experience. A beautifully crafted novel that delves into the depths of grief, love, and resilience with grace and insight. ––The Prairies Book Review

Five Stars and a Golden Quill award. From its tour de force opening chapters, The Means Of Keeping is brilliantly constructed in both writing flair and narrative. It’s a rollercoaster of a read that will hit all the right buttons and is an unreservedly recommended Golden Quill read. A genuinely affecting read that approaches its key themes of grief and climate change with intelligence, maturity, and a rare sense of authenticity. The Means Of Keeping is contemporary literary fiction at its very best. ––BookViral

When reading The Means of Keeping, tread carefully into each chapter. Be intentional with the process. Carve out a weekend for yourself. Or an hour out of however many days it’ll take you to make your way through this book. Otherwise, you might find yourself stealing minutes out of your daily routine, condensing tasks to free up enough precious time to sneak in a paragraph or two here and there, squeezing in a few pages in environments that will just barely grant you the permission to. At the end of it, you will want to sit with your feelings. To hold them in both hands and turn them around, viewing them from all angles to better make sense of them. Parts of us all are hidden in this book and we may need to confront the difficult emotions dredged up by this story. In the end we will be better for it. The book will sit beside you with patience as you do so. As will Tereza and David. The answers you seek, or the comfort you need lies somewhere in their tribulations. Marcello possesses the rarest of talents. He takes a universal problem and distills it down to its essence. He writes words that resonate. Words I wish I could untangle from the sticky web of my thoughts just so I could read them afresh, with brand new eyes, and learn something new that I might have missed the first time. Then do it all over again for, perhaps, a lifetime. ––BookNerdection

The Means of Keeping

By Rich Marcello

Genre: Literary Fiction / Climate Fiction

Reviewed by Nick Rees Gardner

A moving cli-fi novel exploring the physical, psychological, and interpersonal issues that accompany the climate crisis

David Luca and Tereza Allard have been friends since they were young, all the way back to when the state of the world seemed hopeful. They even dated at one point, but eventually, they went on to form their own families and achieve their own individual artistic and educational goals. 

Then the microburst happened: a cosmic event propelled by climate change that took both friends’ families from them and drove them to full-on self-destructive depression. As the two reconnect, they work their way out of their individual funks and strive toward self-realization at the university-cum-commune, the Ashami Institute. When the Institute fails, they move on to create their own commune, called Keeping, in hopes of making the world their children live in a better, more sustainable place. 

The novel is composed of brief chapters and shifting third person points of view that zoom in on several characters throughout the story. The chapters, sometimes as short as 2-3 pages, speed up the pace of what is, at least for the first third of the book, a slow-moving plot. Much of the characters’ backstory is revealed in this first third of the book, previous love affairs, lost children, brooding feelings, and dark emotions. David and Tereza are made complex through stretches of backstory and expository paragraphs defining their interests and ideals. 

But the pace picks up in the second third of the novel, as a love triangle develops between David, Tereza, and an Ashami Institute mainstay, Emma. The elaborate and involved shift of love interests packs the final two thirds of The Means of Keeping with tension between Tereza and David, but also their other partners. The two dance around the question of their own connection, but also their position in creating a future for the world for their potential children, a question that rings true in present day America as well as David and Tereza’s fictional lives a decade in our future. 

Two story arcs drive the first half of the book: That of David and Tereza’s search for how to move their lives forward and that of their ever-more-complex and shifting relationship. But in the second half, a third and much more immediate, higher-stakes arc emerges when David, Tereza, and Emma draft “The Means of Keeping,” a document included in the book which lists the laws and goals of their newly formed idealistic commune. 

Keeping, the commune, follows a similar arc to other 21st century ecocommune novels such as Allegra Hyde’s Eleutheria or even the works of Emily St. John Mandel. Looters bang at the periphery of what should be a perfect community while within, heads butt against each other and secret grudges emerge. 

Though this third arc diverges from the first third of the book, the romantic tensions continue, intertwining to create a middle of the book that brims with suspense, much more a page-turner than the beginning or end. The looting gang, “The Sons of Tomorrow” add a more deadly and physical tension to David and Tereza’s story, acting as a catalyst that will change everything they thought they knew. 

The Means of Keeping is complex, emotional, and stuffed with fun, obscure pop-culture references, from Radiohead and Elliott Smith to films that David and Tereza are both drawn to. Its complexity, as well as the fact that it spans almost an entire lifetime, makes it read almost like multiple books. It could be split into separate novels: David’s Cabin, The Institute, and Keeping; the three locations where David and Tereza explore different eras of their relationships. As a whole, it adds up to more than the sum of its parts. The will-they-wont they of David and Tereza’s relationship acts as the glue binding this book together. 

Rich Marcello’s The Means of Keeping falls easily under the climate fiction umbrella, but a literary bent pervades along with a complex, less-steamy multipart romance that will keep the reader guessing. And this is where The Means of Keeping breaks the mold of other cli-fi novels before it: The focus on love, on relationships, and the battle between the practical and emotional in a world striving to survive.

The Means of Keeping by Rich Marcello takes readers on a profound journey that brings together real-world climate issues and the fictional world. As readers follow the journey of best friends David and Tereza, they will experience a compelling contemporary fiction that discusses poignant social, political, and economic topics through an immersive story.

The book is narrated from the third person perspective, an endearing way of bringing real-world issues such as the climate crisis into the fictional world without detracting from its severity. With each chapter, readers find that they are contemplating real-world issues and the impact that today’s choices could have on future generations to come.

David and Tereza have known each other since they were teenagers, and now in their mid-forties find themselves closer than before, after a climate-induced tragedy takes the lives of their families. The friendship between David and Tereza changes from the start to the end of the book, creating a seamless plot progression throughout. The reader not only forms a connection individually with the characters but also the pair and their friendship together.

A key theme explored is friendship, and as the story progresses, so does the friendship between David and Tereza. At the beginning, the reader is aware that Tereza’s character is leaning on David for support and toward the end of the book, the roles reverse with David’s character leaning more on Tereza. This reinforces to the reader the depth of their friendship and their value for each other.

The character development of both protagonists is cleverly written. The depression both characters feel has been written authentically and compellingly, which will resonate with many readers and provide a strong sense of realness to the characters. The author has achieved a believable environment, adding depth and realness to the overall story. Keeping is the community featured within the book and has been described with such detail portraying it to be a beautiful and freeing place.

Vivid imagery transports the reader into Keeping alongside the characters and its residents. When reading the initial scenes within Keeping the reader will feel a sense of community coming through the pages and feel they can almost hear the citizens around them.

Readers will find the writing style allows for an easy-to-read book with fast-paced chapters. However, readers may feel some parts of the book could be more active. Despite the book’s impactful storyline, there are sections where the narrative appears to lose its momentum, detracting from the anticipation the reader may feel. Nevertheless, these instances of slower pacing do not diminish the overall feeling of intrigue and engagement the book contains.

The overall pacing of the book does provide a good sense of suspense for the reader in anticipating what the outcome will be for David and Tereza. Created with smooth transitions between scenes from one chapter to another, preventing any abrupt changes in the narrative for the reader.

A standalone book that leaves a lasting impact on the reader. The Means of Keeping is a book that effortlessly brings together real-world crises and the fictional world. Marcello will have readers pondering what they want out of life and for future generations when venturing into this new contemporary fiction.

My new cli-fi novel, The Means of Keeping, will be released on July 12th, 2024. Check out the cover!

Rich

https://www.telegram.com/story/lifestyle/2021/06/27/read-and-reap-harvard-novelist-rich-marcello-releases-cenographs/5310147001/

One month until the release of my new novel, Cenotaphs! Here’s some of the early feedback:

Rich

Cenotaphs is a beautiful, timely, powerful novel. I read it slowly, savoring each scene. Its elegance, intelligence, poignancy, and humanity remind me of Anthony Doerr’s All the Light We Cannot See.––Mark Spencer, author of An Untimely Frost

Cenotaphs is a masterful, moving meditation on loss and moving forward, and on the possibility of transcendence. But it’s the characters and their voices that will keep haunting me, so much so that I know readers will return to them time and again, as if they’re long lost members of a family.—Rebecca Givens Rolland, author of On the Refusal to Speak

Cenotaphs is an achingly poignant tale of love and loss, and for its protagonist Ben, how the two are intimately intertwined. In the course of this short novel, classic betrayal and unfathomable loss birth the most unexpected platonic love, and in doing so, show us the power of forgiveness. Marcello’s writing is elegant and lyrical and through a complex web of extremes, Cenotaphs cleverly reminds us that nothing is meant to last forever.––Mark E Sorenson, author of A Restaurant in Jaffa

Rich Marcello writes with the grace of a poet. The narrative is filled with vitality and is steeped in elegance. Reality crosses over seamlessly into mythology and mysticism. ……. Close relationships in a variety of forms are core to the story. The Latecomers is life affirming and beautiful. Marcello writes a story that is truly unique in a world where corporations can buy loyalty and there seems to be little grace in aging.

Indies Today Recommended. Five out of five stars.

Sometimes when I read books like this, I get amazed as to why they are not making it to the bestselling list along with other books which have been made popular solely due to a strong PR game. ………. The Latecomers too because the writing of this book is so fantastic.

The prose is as mesmerizing to read as the story is deep and heart-touching. The plot of the book, however, is something very unique.

But more interesting was the mystical touch to it which kept the book engaging. Its uniqueness is in the emotions that it portrays. The book is very human and reads like a life experience more than a narration. Yet, at no point was my desire for fiction ignored. It is hard to write this book without turning it into a rant where I just wish everyone would read the book so it could be better discussed. I have not read any other books by this author but seeing how good this one was, it would be a pleasure to read the rest.

The Latecomers is a profound and philosophical novel about aging and connection, which offers hope and a new vision for how we as a society could age well. Filled with poetry and mysticism, the novel takes the reader on a journey from which he or she will inevitably be changed.

­­––Rebecca Given Rolland, author of The Wreck of Birds

The Latecomers entertains and enlightens in equal measures––exactly what these dark times call for.”

 —Mark Spencer, author of An Untimely Frost

I found Rich Marcello’s absolutely outstanding new novel, The Latecomers, gripping, original, thought-provoking, and very clever. I cared deeply about the main characters, and the book kept me guessing, kept me reading compulsively to find out what happened to them.

  ––Sophie Powell, author of The Mushroom Man