The Beautiful No: And Other Tales of Trial, Transcendence, and Transformation

Television producer Salata shares her story of transformation in this approachable debut. Salata, writing in a diaristic style, begins with her decision to leave her long career working as executive producer on The Oprah Winfrey Show. In her mid-50s, she felt it was the right time to leave, and was overwhelmed with excitement and worry about the future. As she took stock of her life, Salata began to face demons she had been avoiding: the lack of romantic love in her life, her insecurities about her body, and the pressure to always be ready and willing to work. Salata walks readers through her great “reckoning,” when she faces her foibles by starting a journal, attending a therapy spa, and taking a year off for “radical self-care.” To fight back against self-destructive thinking, she recommends readers be kind to themselves and to journal in order to “tenderly look at the landscape of your life and lovingly explore its pits and grooves, its highs and lows.” To this end, she offers her own process through revealing, in-depth discussions of difficulties in her own past, including the moment that problems with her weight began, the uncertainties of her 20s, and her victorious battle against cancer. Salata will be a comforting guide to any reader looking for new strategies for overcoming personal obstacles. (June)