Tell Me About Joy: A True Story of Love, Regret, and Second Chances

by Kara Kavensky

A wartime romance. A journalist on the brink. And miraculous reunion that changes everything.
For readers of Eat, Pray, Love, Tuesdays With Morrie and Untamed , this poignant true story reminds us that it's never too late for love.
Kara is a journalist stuck in a crumbling marriage, quietly losing hope. When she’s assigned to write a human interest piece on WWII veterans, she meets Bob—a sharp, charming nonagenarian who shares his greatest that he missed out on marrying the love of his life—a woman named Joy.
It's been over 60 years. Joy is somewhere out there. And Bob has one last to find her before it’s too late.
What begins as a routine assignment turns into the story that changes everything. As Kara sets out to reunite two long-lost lovers, she’s forced to confront the losses and longings in her own life. What unfolds is a moving, unforgettable journey through memory, healing, and the enduring power of love.
Tell Me About Joy is a beautifully written true story about the lives we live, the choices we carry, and the unexpected ways love can find us again—even after all this time.

288 pages, Paperback

Expected publication September 8, 2026

Reviews

[Marilou Marosz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding “The One” can feel impossible, especially as we get older. Mistakes and missed opportunities accumulate over time. Eventually the days ahead can look limited and lonely. It becomes hard to take chances and easy to lose hope. That’s exactly why TELL ME ABOUT JOY is such a vital read. Author Kara Kavensky tells two related, real-life stories that prove there’s magic in human connection. The parallel storylines come together so beautifully and perfectly that you’ll be convinced that anything is possible. TELL ME ABOUT JOY will leave you cheering new love and eager to experience it again—or for the very first time.

[Adam Gibson · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a tender, beautifully told reminder that love does not always follow the timeline we expect. Kara’s journey with Bob is both heartbreaking and hopeful, weaving together wartime memory, personal reinvention, and the ache of unfinished love. What moved me most was how the search for Joy becomes more than a reunion story; it becomes a mirror for the author's own life and the choices we all carry. Honest, graceful, and deeply human, this is the kind of story that stays with you long after the final page.

[Stephanie Sarazin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whether pursuing the love of a long-lost relationship or seeking a deeper connection to our own inner wisdom, Kavensky delivers an unforgettable story that reveals the life that opens to us when we find the courage to answer the call of our hearts. For anyone who has wondered “what if?”, Tell Me About Joy offers a stirring invitation to push past regret, open your bubble-wrapped heart, and behold the healing balm of love.
— Stephanie Sarazin, Author of SOULBROKEN, The LITTLE BOOK OF LOSS RITUALS, and THE LITTLE BOOK OF LOVE RITUALS

[Cynthia Occelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some books find you exactly when you need them. Tell Me About Joy is one of those books. When journalist Kara sits down to interview Bob, a World War II veteran, she expects a story. Instead, she's tasked with a mission that transforms her beliefs about love and destiny. This memoir captures the living metamorphosis that courage, self-worth, and perseverance offer. It will steal your heart and return it, fuller than before. — Cynthia Occelli, JD, author of Resurrecting Venus (Hay House)

[Stephanie Weaver · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’ve lost your belief in humankind this book is the antidote. Tell Me About Joy is about love, reclamation, and second chances. You’ll be forever changed after reading it in the best possible way. You'll learn a ton about WWII history, living with a narcissistic husband, the freedom divorce can bring—but mostly you'll be inspired by love.

[Laura Grant Turbin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read this incredible book. It is full of emotional healing. And it is wonderfully readable. The author has one of my favorite writing styles…direct, no paragraph-long sentences, and cleverly worded. It is heart-warming, but also insightful and entertaining. The story is truly an interesting one. I loved reading it. Waiting for more from Kara.