“Ten Before Thirty” by Yana Kazan has been released worldwide. This 308-page novel follows Annie through a tumultuous life of hard times and ruminations about growing up female. As a young child, a vision of her dead great-grandmother, Flora, appears to tell her that ten really bad things are coming, and Annie can choose to get them early or later in her life. By choosing “early,” Annie learns that the ten will come before she turns 30. Reeling from the death of her father, Annie confirms her suspicion that her great-grandmother’s message is real.
Over subsequent years, Annie encounters the “bad things” Flora foretold, and struggles to find identity as she moves to new places and develops new relationships. Set in the 1960s and 70s, Annie’s story is set against a cultural backdrop of discrimination, antisemitism, and the divisiveness of the Vietnam War, further adding to her feelings of being an embattled outsider.
Through vivid imagery and captivating characters, Kazan brings Annie’s story to life in a delicate balance of traumatic events and hope. Despite her near constant awareness of “Flora’s list,” and a series of troubled relationships, Annie learns to cope with life’s harsh lessons. Wondering if she’ll survive, Annie ultimately finds reasons to look forward to a hopeful future after thirty.
Ten Before Thirty (ISBN: 9781958729458) can be purchased through retailers worldwide, including Barnes and Noble and Amazon. The paperback retails for $15.50. Wholesale orders are available through Ingram. Review copies and interviews are available upon request.
From the back cover:
Right after losing her father, ten-year-old Annie Zechman gets a visit from her dead great-grandmother. More bad things are coming, and Annie must choose whether they come early or later in life. Annie chooses early, setting her on a tumultuous, coming-of-age journey through the American social landscape of the 60s and 70s. With help from flute player Fran, sex therapy partner Duncan, biology professor Rickson, art professor Meyer, Nordic soulmate Jonas, roommate Mona, heating pad lover Mitchell, best friend Santos, and a crew of therapists, Annie may make it to thirty, but what will it cost her? Her dreams? Her sanity? Her very self?
About the author:
Yana Kazan is a professor and writer who draws on her interest in adverse childhood experiences and their impact on coming of age, to set her debut novel in the turbulent 1960s and 70s. A bit of a nomad, most places feel like home once she finds a good bakery, walking paths, and a library. She read somewhere that people are either mountain, valley, or water people – she’s all of the above – and a cat whisperer too. If she could invite someone from the past over for tea, her first choice would be Noah Webster so they could talk about words.
About Manhattan Book Group:
Manhattan Book Group (“MBG”), located on Broadway in New York City, is a registeredtrade name of Mindstir Media LLC. MBG is widely known as a premier hybrid bookpublisher. We have combined the best of traditional publishing with the best of self-publishing to provide authors with the “best of both worlds” in a sense. To learn moreabout MBG, visit https://www.manhattanbookgroup.com/
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