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How does a person keep on living and find hope after their heart is broken? Businesswoman, producer, filmmaker and diplomat Nicole Avant ruminates on that very question in Think You'll Be Happy, a deeply moving, evocative memoir that also serves to inspire others who face shattering heartbreaks in life. Avant's beautifully crafted book demonstrates how, by keeping an open heart and an open mind--and never succumbing to victim mentality--those ready to accept enlightenment via the gifts of grace and gratitude can make peace with unthinkable tragedy.
Raised in California by smart, creative, elegant parents who were nurturing and supportive, Avant and her brother, Alex, lived a seemingly idyllic and advantaged life. This was largely due to their parents, who, despite hardscrabble beginnings and the challenges of racism, soared in their achievements, and spent their lives giving back and helping to boost others toward success. Avant's father, Clarence, is a self-made Rock and Roll Hall of Fame executive who has been called the "Black godfather." He is credited with launching the career of singer-songwriter Bill Withers, and managing many other notables as well. Music industry powerhouses such as Quincy Jones (Avant's godfather), Diana Ross, Herb Alpert, Lionel Richie, and Smokey Robinson "created a soundtrack" for Avant: "I can't imagine what my life would have been like without their music to sustain and uplift me."
Avant's mother, Jacqueline--dignified and spiritual--was an active and much-beloved and respected philanthropist and community activist, who once modeled at the Ebony Fashion Fair. Jacquie and Clarence married in 1967; her tragic sudden death parted them after 54 years of marriage. Overnight on November 30, 2021, an intruder broke into their Beverly Hills, Calif., home. Police believe that Jacqueline surprised the intruder and because she didn't call out to Clarence, asleep in the back of the house, she might have actually saved her husband's life. Jacqueline was shot in the back and later died from her injuries.
Avant credits her mother, and the way she lived her life, for creating a road map that helped the family navigate through the dark days and unthinkable shock of her death. "The trauma of my mother's death is not the story of her life. Her ending was tragic, yes, but her life was beautiful. One of her great superpowers was her ability to acknowledge hardship without staying in it for too long. She never let anyone rob her of her faith in God and all the blessings bestowed upon her and our family." Avant's intimate, fluid narrative examines Jacqueline's 81 years of life, and how her character, goodness, and generosity continue to ripple outward into the world via her daughter's love, admiration, and appreciation. This is evidenced by the very last communication Avant had with Jacqueline--a seemingly mundane text exchange regarding a sweet potato pie. Her mother's last words were a wish for her to enjoy the baked treat: "Think you'll be happy." This mantra becomes a refrain of resilient hope that reverberates throughout the narrative.
As Avant leads readers through the trauma of her grief, she shares stories of how the love and attentive support of dear friends resurrected memories and reflections of her mother and her family history. The way other people remember Jacqueline shapes the shattered pieces of the author's life, a mosaic she reassembles in order to press on with living. Their recollections inspire Avant to mine the landscape of her own fascinating life. The book highlights the role Avant's ancestors and parents played in charting the course of her own destiny: the presence of a large circle of accomplished creatives; the many philanthropic, civic, and politically focused causes she and her family participated in; the support of her husband, Ted Sarandos, a top executive at Netflix; Avant's career as a producer; and her empowering time serving as U.S. ambassador to the Bahamas, appointed by President Obama. Her personal experiences are entwined in her journey through grief, concretely supported by biblical passages, as Avant is steadfast in rejecting victimhood. Instead, she relentlessly depends on and chooses to worship God "amid the worst storm imaginable."
Practical wisdom and insight help Avant put her mother's life and death into perspective while embracing forgiveness and love. And the many routes she travels toward self-actualization are paved with an ardent spirit of unending gratitude. The positivity fostered by this outlook ultimately tempers the senselessness of her mother's death, and creates a wellspring of meaning and purpose as Avant shows how she came to live more mindfully and appreciatively on the road to peace and hope.
"Think you'll be happy" were wise, prophetic last words from Jacqueline Avant, who leaves behind an unforgettable legacy of kindness, faith, hope, and generosity. In the end, readers will be very happy with--and profoundly moved by--Avant's endearing homage to an extraordinary woman whose life ended tragically, but whose exemplary shining spirit continues to inspire others and change the world in immensely positive ways. --Kathleen Gerard