“A Grieving Girl from Brooklyn”: A Staten Island resident’s book is a testament to the power of positivity after the loss of a child
STATEN ISLAND, NY — Elisa Roces speaks from the bottom of her heart when she says she never imagined she would want to write a book about her childhood in a traditional Italian family in Brooklyn’s Sheepshead neighborhood.
However, she says her intention in writing this decades-spanning narrative was to inspire others to turn tragic stories into some kind of triumph, and perhaps even to be an uplifting resource for those who have suffered and been confronted with the burden of tragedy.
As an inspiration to others who have gone through difficult times, readers will witness Elisa’s strength and fortitude, a testament to the experiences she has had and the power of resilience and positivity.
In her gripping account, which she calls “A Grieving Girl from Brooklyn,” the Prince’s Bay resident delves deep into her past and shows how her faith in God has grown even stronger.
The cover of “A Grieving Girl From Brooklyn.” (Courtesy of the Roces family)Staten Island Advance
A LITTLE ABOUT ELISA’S LIFE
Over the years, Elisa has lost several loved ones.
As a teenager, she recounts the excitement of her first romantic relationship with an attractive admirer, the ups and downs of their relationship, and the grief she felt when he succumbed to his injuries after a terrible car accident.
She remembered the week of his wake, when a white dove sat on the terrace of her house until the last day of his funeral.
“It really made me believe that God must exist and that he sent the dove as a sign that he was okay,” she said.
Several years passed and Elisa and her family moved to Staten Island.
After three years of dating, she got married and three years later, baby Jenna Ann was born. The marriage ended in divorce.
More time passed and Elisa was introduced to Mike, a Marine.
He adored little Jenna and the three of them enjoyed their trips to the Bronx Zoo and Hershey Park.
When Mike wanted to propose to her, he gave her not just one but two rings – one for Elisa and the other for Jenna, who excitedly showed it to her.
Mike and Elisa would have two children – a girl, Gabriella Grace, and a boy, Michael John.
Fast forward to 2015: Jenna, now an adult, met the love of her life and eventually married her.
On January 11, 2022, the Roces family received a call that Jenna, then 29, was unresponsive after taking a sedative laced with fentanyl. She died of cardiac arrest.
After that night my life would change forever.
Elissa and Michael Roces and Jenna. (Courtesy of the Roces family)Staten Island Advance
In her book, Elisa explains how honored she was to be Jenna’s mother and goes on to explain that her sweet little girl was very special.
And the way Jenna was always her greatest support through all the ups and downs of life, in times of illness as well as in times of health and happiness, and never left her.
Jenna, Michael John and Gabriella Grace. (Courtesy of the Roces family)Staten Island Advance
Although Elisa was devastated, she managed to stay strong despite everything.
About a year after Jenna’s death, while Elisa was still in shock, she felt a strong desire to relive all the memories she had made in Brooklyn. They were happy, carefree times when she was young and didn’t have to worry about anything in the world, she said.
Grandmother Maryanne, Jenna and nephew Mason. (Courtesy of the Roces family)Staten Island Advance
To cope, she created a page on the Internet in the hope that her thoughts and words could help anyone experiencing the same kind of grief.
“I started an account on Tik Tok dedicated to helping others going through the same struggles,” she said. “It gave me a chance to talk about Jenna once a day and tell the world how special she was.”
“The reason I named my book and TikTok page ‘A Grieving Girl From Brooklyn’ is because I felt the need to go back to my roots and relive all of my cherished childhood memories,” the author said.
Jenna in her bridal veil. (Courtesy of the Roces family)Staten Island Advance
“I learned my love of nature under my pink mimosa tree,” she continued. “My first friends were from Brooklyn, my first love was from Brooklyn, and I had freedom without stress. I was just a carefree young girl and wanted to go back to my childhood.”
Unfortunately, the loss has become a part of her life.
“We make sure that the memories of the people we care about most last forever, and when they are taken from us, we are constantly reminded of why we loved them,” she continued.
“I was getting more followers every day and receiving so many beautiful comments and prayers and so many others who have lost loved ones and we are united in our shared grief,” she noted.
Jenna as a young adult. (Courtesy of the Roces family)Staten Island Advance
“If you are one of those people who have lost a loved one, then this book is for you. Believe me, I can tell you that grief changes everything. It changed my perspective and here I will tell you how I deal with it,” she advised.
“A Grieving Girl From Brooklyn” is available on Amazon.com and Kindle.
