Through Hannah's journal, readers will experience Hannah's summer in the quiet town of Terre Haute, where Hannah says, "Nothing happens." Except plenty happens, leading Hannah to understand her misplaced anger in odd and sometimes humorous ways. Whether on the tennis court, in the kitchen, or through a family book club, family misunderstanding and eventual understanding populate the pages. Written in short journal entries for easy reading and short attention spans.

NEWTON, Mass. - March 1, 2024 - PRLog -- Hannah's Journal to Be Happy is the sequel to Alfred's Journey to Be Liked. Hannah is Alfred's best friend. Alfred is a neurodivergent teen whose world has been expanded with the help of "Coach," as shared in the series' first book.

Hannah is also a writer, sister, chess player, and, most notably, not happy. When Alfred arranges for Hannah to speak with Coach, she is given an assignment as she heads out to spend the summer with her brother, dad, and dad's girlfriend in Terre Haute. She is to keep a journal and record moments when she doesn't feel heard.

A summer of learning transpires—tennis, a family book club, a birthday dinner, a purple streak added to Hannah's hair, Twister, some realized end-of-summer wishes, and more. Most importantly, some rocky relationships have a do-over.

Ebstein, who doubles as a business consultant, spends much of her time facilitating conversations between clients and their customers, and she has applied these skills here. "I imagine a family dinner taking place and someone mentioning Hannah's journal and asking, 'Is my ego too big? Is my anger misplaced? Does Sriracha really make everything taste better?'"

As Ebstein sees it, honest conversations are the fabric of healthy families. "When done in bits and bytes, the challenges don't overwhelm us, and we can find relief through understanding," Ebstein says. She adds, "My fiction comes from the mom inside me—full of homespun practical ideas to help get a conversation started. I am not a therapist."

What does Ebstein hope the series brings to readers? "I hope readers will identify with its characters—Alfred, Hannah, and more—and incorporate their vocabulary and thoughts into daily living." More than anything, Ms. Ebstein hopes for better family conversations.

About Jill Ebstein

Jill Ebstein is the author of Alfred's Journey to Be Liked (February 2023), editor of the At My Pace series of books – At My Pace: Twenty Somethings Finding Their Way (April 2018), At My Pace: Lessons from Our Mothers (Nov 2016), and At My Pace: Ordinary Women Tell Extraordinary Stories (2015). She founded Sized Right Marketing, helping companies use the customer voice to drive strategy. She holds a BS from Washington University and MBA from Wharton. Learn more at www.jillebstein.com

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Source: SizedRight Marketing

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