Happy Jack

Happy Jack

When life becomes too difficult to understand, nine-year-old Jack awakens one night to see a most extraordinary creature called Petucan who has come to his rescue. He is swept into the magical realm of Dhyāna Land where he sets out on a quest to find the mysterious and immortal Satya. With the help of exotic and memorable characters, his adventure begins.Inspired by true events, this book challenges readers of all ages to ask themselves the important questions: Who am I? What is my purpose?Merging the real and imagined, the novel directly engages the reader where they themself appear on the page at the end of chapter eleven. Emotional and satisfying, the profound messages woven throughout the novel captures the imagination and hearts of children and adults trying to find their way home. "In this debut novel, a lonely little boy travels through strange lands in an odyssey of self-discovery.Two years after Jack was abandoned by his parents at age 7, he is in yet another children's home. Sad, angry, and isolated, Jack is bullied at school; his only friend is a battered toy dog named Ivanhoe; and he is tormented by dreams of a terrifying monster, sparked by the spiky branches of a looming monkey puzzle tree outside his bedroom window. One night, a cotton-stuffed monkey mysteriously appears, brings Ivanhoe to life, and tells Jack that "Satya, the dreamer of all dreams," has the answer to his recurring nightmares. Joined by loyal Ivanhoe, now able to speak, as a supportive friend, Jack finds himself moving through shifting dreamscapes on a quest to reach the "quiet place," where Satya dwells. The boy's experiences in peculiar lands include a ride on the "Mindless Express," where he nearly loses himself playing video games. Before Jack makes his empowering discovery of just who or what Satya is, he will learn not to run away from his feelings, to tame his stress-inducing "monkey mind," to change a negative perspective by exercising forgiveness and kindness, and to trust himself to be his "own best friend." Edgington, a yoga teacher, describes her engaging novel as an "adult allegory" "styled as a children's book." There is a great deal of imaginative storytelling on display here, and kids will undoubtedly enjoy Jack's eventful journey and happy ending. Among the numerous odd characters that the hero encounters are "mountain lyings"--furry creatures that collect and frolic with all the lies people tell themselves and others--a discarded Christmas ornament who is sick of the holiday, and an ogre who embodies Jack's worst fears. But this is fundamentally and unapologetically a self-help book whose child-centric plot exists solely as the framework for heartfelt lessons about self-realization and self-acceptance that should resonate with older, stressed-out readers despite the juvenile setting.An inventive children's fantasy whose earnest messages about cultivating emotional health through mindfulness target adults." - Kirkus Reviews When life becomes too difficult tounderstand, nine-year-old Jack awakens one night to see a most extraordinarycreature called Petucan who has come to his rescue. He is swept into themagical realm of Dhyāna Land where he sets out on a quest to find themysterious and immortal Satya. With the help of exotic and memorablecharacters, his adventure begins. As the real and imagined begin to merge, Jackboards the Mindless Express where his journey brings him face-to-face with hisworst nightmare: Ethos the Giant Ogre. He discovers his power and fights aheroic battle to save himself and his friends. Born in London, England, Jacqueline acquired a love fortravel and followed the sun to finally settle in sunny Florida where she liveswith her husband. Her near-daughter, grandchildren and great granddaughter playnearby. Happy Jack  is her debutnovel and portrays the challenges of abandonment and growing up in a children'shome. Styled as a children's book, this inspiring story observes familiarstruggles felt in today's world.