Synopses of Upcoming Books

    Over the next few weeks, I’m going to post a series of synopses of my upcoming publications, one at a time. If you have an opinion on any (or all) of them, I’d love to hear it. The first one is very personal, but some are based on other members of my family and others are entirely fictional. I hope there's something for everyone! I need to decide before long on the order of publishing, so any input would be great.
     
Synopsis: The Happy Man’s Daughter
 
    Growing up as The Happy Man’s Daughter, I found my dad, Cliff’s, persistent optimism irritating and naïve. “Think warm thoughts,” he’d tell me if I complained about being cold. When I was a kid, I can’t tell you how many times he referenced the little engine that could. When I was a teen and got depressed, he’d say, “I’m okay. You’re okay.” Drove me crazy!
    He worked in Mayfield, Kentucky, for the Howard D. Happy Company. His customers referred to him as the Happy man. Although his life was far from easy, his indomitable spirit survived, and he tried to instill it through the generations into his progeny.
      In The Happy Man’s Daughter, I become the first college graduate in the family and go on to earn a doctorate at Vanderbilt, all the while questioning my place in the world and the true worth of the choices I’ve made. As I meditated on the role in my life played by family, faith, and fortune, I developed a collection of stories to explore my roots, adolescence, and search for purpose.
     This memoir provided an opportunity to examine four aspects of my life and the myriad experiences and people who have made me who I am: sex and other sins; I’ve got a crush on you; my father’s influence; and being me.