R.M. Romero: The Tear Collector (Climate, Mental Health)

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. Pub Date: October 14, 2025

Set after the end of the world, this darkly fantastical climate change tale

explores hope, memory, and what really makes a monster.

ANM: Welcome to A Novel Mind, Ms. Romero! Please introduce yourself!

I’m R.M. Romero, an author and cat lady who spends a lot of time hanging out in Jewish

cemeteries in Poland. The Tear Collector is my sixth novel, a post-apocalyptic cli-fi middle

grade novel about Malka and Ezra, two siblings who survive the end of the world only to find

themselves on an island where their neighbors are seemingly turning into monsters. It’s one of

my favorite things I’ve ever written!

ANM: How did you first conceive of this story -- what inspired it?

I live in Miami Beach, so the reality of climate change is very present in my every day life. In

2019, Hurricane Dorian was on track to make landfall here as a category 4 or even category 5 storm and as I was preparing to either ride it out or evacuate, I started thinking about what would happen if the three bridges connecting my island to the mainland were destroyed. What would it be like for my community if we were cut out from the rest of the world? What kind of society would we build? These questions merged with how interesting I found the designs for the monstrous the Skeksis from The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, which I was watching at the time, and The Tear Collector was born!

The two main characters, Malka and Ezra, came to me fully formed. Although the story around

them changed over the course of many drafts! Writing is rewriting is rewriting, after all.

This story's post-climate-apocalyptic setting is quite dire for your characters. How do you

balance the representation of both anxiety and hope on the page? 

I wanted to acknowledge just how grim the situation that the characters have found themselves in is, and to be honest with kids about how that situation reflects the environmental problems we face in the real world. I didn’t want to let my readers drown in those feelings, however.

There are moments of fear in the book, such as when the characters have to face the dastardly

ruler of their island, Mr. Gray. There is grief when they have to confront their grief over the

world that was lost in the climate change disaster that is the catalyst for the rest of the story.

But there are also moments of love and joy— the sibling bond between Malka and Ezra, their

budding friendship with newcomer Oliva, and the art Ezra makes for his friends and family.

Ultimately, being hopeful isn’t about waiting around for someone else to rescue you. It’s about

believing so strongly that things can be better that you start building that brighter world

yourself—even if you’re scared at first.

Why is it important to write about tough topics for young people? Why is it important for

young people to read hard things? 

I feel like the stories that made the biggest impact on me as a kid were the ones that took me

into dark places, then guided me back to the light. Such stories showed me that it was possible to overcome terrible things, and that’s why I aim to write those kinds of narratives as an adult.

Books about hard topics can help young people build empathy, provide a space where they can talk about and process tough issues in a safe environment, and give them inspiration for how to face the difficulties in their own lives. With The Tear Collector, I also wanted to write a book where the main characters have anxiety, depression, speech disorders, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder so that kids who have these disabilities feel seen, and like they too can be the heroes of stories. 

Thank you so much for your wonderful insights! Is there anything else you would like to add?

Music was a huge inspiration to me as I wrote. When you read The Tear Collector, I suggest

listening to these songs…

“The Drowned World” by Jóhann Jóhannsson

“Gray Street” by the Dave Matthews Band

“The Story of Wendy” and “Straight On ’till Morning” by Dan Romer & Behn Zeitlin

“Somewhere Over the Rainbow” by Judy Garland

“Rule # 4: Fish in a Birdcage” by Fish in a Birdcage

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R.M. Romero is a critically acclaimed international bestselling author of fairy tales for children and adults. She is the author of Tale of the Flying Forest, illustrated by E.K. Belsher; The Tear Collector; The Dollmaker of Kraków and The Ghosts of Rose Hill, both Sydney Taylor Notable Books; A Warning About Swans; and Death’s Country. R.M. Romero lives in Miami Beach with her cat Robin Goodfellow and invites you to visit her online at rmromero.com.