29/06/2023
Have you ever looked back at your first heartbreak and thought of how much it changed you?
Many years ago, I was a college sophomore navigating a post-breakup semester. Being so young, I remember finding comfort in young adult novels and rom-com movies. Page after page and scene after scene, I kept on hoping that the wound inside is somehow healing - that the happy ending of others was helping to mend my emotional injury.
It was during this season that I met Girl with a Broken String through a shared blog post. From then on, I was a devoted follower, reader, and listener of Sam’s poetry and songs.
Fast forward to today, Sam’s story is finally getting a spotlight and is being published as a multi-media novel. The author, Therese Villarante, collaborates with the Vispop founder and multi-awarded songwriter, Jude Gitamondoc with illustrator M Sanoria, animator Lee Anthony Pada and singers Ivy Gallur and Daryl Leong to create an artistic narrative of a girl experiencing her first heartbreak.
The proud homegrown Cebuana artist hopes this book gives home to those who are healing and a safe space for those who find grace in creative expression. Ultimately, she hopes that despite the pain one experiences in loving, may Sam’s courageous character encourages one to still see love as something beautiful.
Sam’s letters to J resonated greatly with my then seventeen-year-old hopeless romantic bookworm. Her music became my voice on the silent tearful nights. Sam's bravery in playing a song amidst a broken string, her fearlessness in dancing despite having two left feet, and her boldness in forgiving and loving even after being hurt is a story worth telling.
Get a copy of Girl with a Broken String through their page: m.me/girlwithabrokenstring
By: Nova R.
Contributor
