Blind Spot Review - Hamburg Sun - November 20, 2008
November 20, 2008 – The Hamburg Sun, by Sarah Reynolds
Local Author Hopes Book Will Somehow Help Readers Cope
Losing a child is a nightmare many parents do not want to think about, let alone live through. Parents welcome their children into the world, watch them grow and develop into adults, but when tragedy strikes, the world suddenly takes on a different meaning.
Author Cliff Fazzolari, a native of North Collins who now lives in Blasdell, takes on the task to show the tribulations and grief a married couple goes through in his book, Blind Spot.
The story begins with the main character, Scott, deciding to leave his wife Cheryl after 18 years of marriage, to embark on a cross-country trip in an effort to make sense of the loss of his child and his marriage. Scott’s journey coincides with the upcoming one-year anniversary of the death of his son, Joshua, who at the age of 17, was killed in an automobile accident.
Fazzolari decided to take on the task of writing this story after a lifelong friend approached him during a book signing for Counting on a Miracle. The man confided the story about the loss of his son due to a car accident and the story touched Fazzolari, who had written Counting on a Miracle about his own son overcoming a life-threatening illness. At the book signing, Fazzolari felt like he had to help his friend grieve, “I felt ill-equipped to answer anything,” recalls Fazzolari.
He embarked on the journey to find the answer on why many marriages do not survive the heartache of a child’s death.
“Compassion. I wrote out of compassion. How you cope with loss. How you cope with sadness defines you as a human being.”
Through Scott’s journey from Buffalo through the western landscapes of the United States, he begins to heal and is able to reconnect with his wife, Cheryl. Finally, they are both able to celebrate the life that their son lived.
Fazzolari got the inspiration of Cheryl from some of the strong women figures in his life such as his mother, Lynda Fazzolari, and wife Kathy. “To a certain extent, I have kind of had women on a pedestal and Cheryl was a strong, faithful person because that is what I’ve known all my life.”
The pain in the hearts of Scott and Cheryl is apparent from the opening line of the story. Anyone who has experienced the loss of a child or a loved one due to tragedy will relate to this story, and Fazzolari’s words help bring healing to life. Life always seems to have its blind spots, personal tragedies, and moments we wish we could all take back or erase. These blind spots make up who we are, no matter how painful.
The story is whimsical at times, and in the end, Scott is able to journey full circle to become a new man who does not give into the darkness of his son’s death, but rather faces the light of the life that Joshua lived.
Buffalo plays a strong backdrop in all of Fazzolari’s stories. “You’ll always see Buffalo, you’ll always see Gannon University, and you’ll always see Bruce Springsteen. This is where I live and where I like to be, and I always start my character’s journey in Buffalo.”
Fazzolari hopes that Blind Spot will help many people overcome their grief and step in the positive direction that his character, Scott, did toward the end of the story.
The book was released this month and is available at www.amazon.com or by calling 1-888-542-2665.
Blind Spot has potential to help set the healing process in motion for those who lost a loved one due to tragedy. Fazzolari said that he hopes that people may begin to find a little peace after reading the story.
Local Author Hopes Book Will Somehow Help Readers Cope
Losing a child is a nightmare many parents do not want to think about, let alone live through. Parents welcome their children into the world, watch them grow and develop into adults, but when tragedy strikes, the world suddenly takes on a different meaning.
Author Cliff Fazzolari, a native of North Collins who now lives in Blasdell, takes on the task to show the tribulations and grief a married couple goes through in his book, Blind Spot.
The story begins with the main character, Scott, deciding to leave his wife Cheryl after 18 years of marriage, to embark on a cross-country trip in an effort to make sense of the loss of his child and his marriage. Scott’s journey coincides with the upcoming one-year anniversary of the death of his son, Joshua, who at the age of 17, was killed in an automobile accident.
Fazzolari decided to take on the task of writing this story after a lifelong friend approached him during a book signing for Counting on a Miracle. The man confided the story about the loss of his son due to a car accident and the story touched Fazzolari, who had written Counting on a Miracle about his own son overcoming a life-threatening illness. At the book signing, Fazzolari felt like he had to help his friend grieve, “I felt ill-equipped to answer anything,” recalls Fazzolari.
He embarked on the journey to find the answer on why many marriages do not survive the heartache of a child’s death.
“Compassion. I wrote out of compassion. How you cope with loss. How you cope with sadness defines you as a human being.”
Through Scott’s journey from Buffalo through the western landscapes of the United States, he begins to heal and is able to reconnect with his wife, Cheryl. Finally, they are both able to celebrate the life that their son lived.
Fazzolari got the inspiration of Cheryl from some of the strong women figures in his life such as his mother, Lynda Fazzolari, and wife Kathy. “To a certain extent, I have kind of had women on a pedestal and Cheryl was a strong, faithful person because that is what I’ve known all my life.”
The pain in the hearts of Scott and Cheryl is apparent from the opening line of the story. Anyone who has experienced the loss of a child or a loved one due to tragedy will relate to this story, and Fazzolari’s words help bring healing to life. Life always seems to have its blind spots, personal tragedies, and moments we wish we could all take back or erase. These blind spots make up who we are, no matter how painful.
The story is whimsical at times, and in the end, Scott is able to journey full circle to become a new man who does not give into the darkness of his son’s death, but rather faces the light of the life that Joshua lived.
Buffalo plays a strong backdrop in all of Fazzolari’s stories. “You’ll always see Buffalo, you’ll always see Gannon University, and you’ll always see Bruce Springsteen. This is where I live and where I like to be, and I always start my character’s journey in Buffalo.”
Fazzolari hopes that Blind Spot will help many people overcome their grief and step in the positive direction that his character, Scott, did toward the end of the story.
The book was released this month and is available at www.amazon.com or by calling 1-888-542-2665.
Blind Spot has potential to help set the healing process in motion for those who lost a loved one due to tragedy. Fazzolari said that he hopes that people may begin to find a little peace after reading the story.
Comments