Nicole Avant to Release Paperback ofThink You’ll Be Happy, With Foreword by Husband Ted Sarandos (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Nicole Avant (center) with her parents Jaqueline Avant and Clarance Avant in 2015.Eric Charbonneau/Getty Images for Netflix

Eric Charbonneau/Getty Images for Netflix

“This book is an offering for anyone experiencing grief over the loss of someone or even something,” Nicole tells PEOPLE ahead of the paperback release.

“My intention in writingThink You’ll Be Happywas to remind readers and listeners that while grief can be heavy and unpleasant, it is part of the human experience that none of us are exempt from and that we can all learn, grow and become better and stronger while navigating and moving through it.”

Nicolepreviously told PEOPLEthat it was her dad Clarence, whodied in 2023 at age 92, who encouraged her to finish the book, despite the grief that she was experiencing.“Every day I was like, ‘Daddy, I just can’t write today.’ He said, ‘Nicole, don’t go down this rabbit hole because you’re sinking,’" Nicole said. “’You’re giving your energy and attention to a tragedy, and I want you to give it to Jacquie.’”

Nicole Avant (center) with her parents Jaqueline Avant and Clarance Avant.Rob Latour/Variety/Penske Media via Getty

Rob Latour/Variety/Penske Media via Getty

The book is not only a tribute to Jaqueline’s life, but to Nicole’s own healing journey and the author said that, throughout the writing process, she could feel that her mother was also guiding her along the way.“I felt that she was energetically pushing me to move on, to stand up,” Avantpreviously told PEOPLE. “I actually became my mom. I decided, when I answered the question of, ‘Who am I going to be?’ it was really, ‘What would Jacquie do right now?’”

“It didn’t take away that it was shocking, traumatic, painful, scary, any of those things,” the author added. “But I still chose to show up for life, feeling those feelings. I was not going to give up.”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.The paperback edition ofThink You’ll Be Happywill be published on Dec. 3 and is now available for preorder, wherever books are sold.

source: people.com