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I Want to Thank You

How a Year of Gratitude Can Bring Joy and Meaning in a Disconnected World

Author Gina Hamadey

Hardcover (Paper-over-Board, no jacket)

$22.00 US

Penguin Adult HC/TR | TarcherPerigee

6.3"W x 8.3"H x 0.75"D | 17 oz | 26 per carton

On sale Apr 13, 2021 | 208 Pages | 9780593189627

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An inspiring guide to saying thank you, one heartfelt note at a time.

We all know that gratitude is good for us--but the real magic comes when we express it. Writer Gina Hamadey learned this life-changing lesson firsthand when a case of burnout and too many hours on social media left her feeling depleted and disconnected. In this engaging book, she chronicles how twelve months spent writing 365 thank-you notes to strangers, neighbors, family members, and friends shifted her perspective. Her journey shows that developing a lasting active gratitude practice can make you a happier person, heal complicated relationships, and reconnect you with the people you love--all with just a little bit of bravery at the mailbox.

How can we turn an often-dreaded task into a rewarding act of self-care that makes us feel more present, joyful, and connected? Whether we're writing to a long-lost friend, a helpful neighbor, or a child's teacher, this inspiring book helps us reflect on meaningful memories and shared experiences and express ourselves with authenticity, vulnerability, and heart. Informed by Hamadey's year of discovery as well as interviews with experts on relationships, gratitude, and more, this deceptively simple guide offers a powerful way to jump-start your joy.

Hamadey found herself thanking not only family members and friends, but less expected people in her sphere, including local shopkeepers, physical therapists, long-ago career mentors, favorite authors, and more. Once you get going, you might find yourself cultivating an active gratitude practice, too--one heartfelt note of thanks at a time.

“As a fan of both gratitude and year-long projects, I was hooked from the start. This book inspired me to write more and better notes to everyone from co-workers to college friends, and in doing so, helped me defy the gloomy and apocalyptic mindset that has overtaken so many of us.”
—A.J. Jacobs, author of Thanks a Thousand

"Gina Hamadey has a way with words, with friends, with neighbors, with those tugging feelings we all have that maybe we've forgotten what's important. I WANT TO THANK YOU is a tonic for our times. It will cheer your day, guide you back to what matters most, and remind you of the power you have to make someone else feel special--most especially the ones you love. Thank you for this lovely book."
—Bruce Feiler, New York Times bestselling author of Life is in the Transitions and The Secrets of Happy Families

"Gina makes me want to slow down, to reconnect, and, most of all, to appreciate the life I have, in all of its challenges and complexities. Thank you, Gina, thank you.”
—Emma Straub, author of All Adults Here and owner of Books Are Magic

“Gina Hamadey is a great storyteller. I love her references to finding ways to notice the little things and put down your phone—subjects near and dear to me.”
—Barbara Ann Kipfer, author of 14,000 Things to be Happy About

Gina Hamadey is a writer and editor whose work has appeared in O, The Oprah Magazine, Food & Wine, Rachael Ray Every Day, Women's Health, and other publications. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and their two young sons. View titles by Gina Hamadey