Build Your Village : A Guide to Finding Joy and Community in Every Stage of Life

In this easy-to-read self-help manual sprinkled with relatable stories, Florence Ann Romano introduces the six roles commonly found in villages and provides a roadmap to help the reader build their own support systems. Everyone has heard the phrase, "It takes a village," but how exactly do we find our village? Who is in it and what does it look like? Rethinking the relationships in your life, you may realize that even if you have a calendar filled with social plans, you still might not have your "village." In Build Your Village , philanthropist and businesswoman Florence Ann Romano answers these questions and more, helping you to build lasting relationships with those in your life, dispel isolation, and improve your overall happiness and health. Each chapter helps you to foster the villager qualities within yourself and to find others who display these qualities. From identifying the six types of villagers needed to complete a fully functional village to what to do when you've lost your community, this book serves as a step-by step guide complete with quizzes, gut-check questions, and action steps as you learn the importance of support systems as well as how to nurture them and find meaningful connections. Your village is waiting. Now it's time to go and find it. "Humans are social creatures. Just as we need water, air, food, and shelter, we need community, yet feelings of isolation and loneliness have been on the rise (exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic), even for people who have full social calendars and large networks. Everyone has heard the phrase "It takes a village," but how exactly do we find our village? In Build Your Village, author Florence Ann Romano posits that a successful support system requires six types of villagers, and she takes the reader step-by-step through the process of creating, nurturing, and, when necessary, rebuilding a village. Exercises and action steps help the reader establish a caring community through meaningful connections. "It takes a village" isn't just a phrase about raising children; it's a call to action for each one of us to find-and become-the villagers needed to build lasting relationships, dispel isolation, and improve overall happiness and well-being"-- Provided by publisher


Six years ago, Ross Mitchell and Lucy Fleming shared a hot holiday weekend in Manhattan, back when he was just a hard-bodied guy in a tool belt and she was an impulsive photography student.

Fast-forward a few Decembers: Ross and Lucy meet again, by chance, at his office Christmas party. And when they find themselves alone and snowed in after hours, it's not long before they're making their own body heat—again. Only this time, the sex is better than ever!

But is it just another holiday romp between the sheets? Or will Lucy and Ross finally get to keep what they really want this year—each other!