Author and Television Host Jedediah Bila Launches "Dear Hartley," a Book of Letters to Son

New York, New York:

Out of the turbulence of politics, power, and plague, comes a uniquely personal book about the most important things in life.

In DEAR HARTLEY: Thoughts on Character, Kindness and Building a Brighter World by Jedediah Bila (Center Street/Hachette, Nov. 16, 2021, ISBN 13-978-1546001034, hardcover, 288 pages) the former co-host of The View and Fox & Friends Weekend writes in the intelligent, sincere, confident voice of a 21st century American mom.

It's a series of letters to her son about what she hopes the world can be for him - and the whole next generation. It's about values lost that need to be recovered, free thinking, character, self-reliance, courage, conviction, how everyone shouldn't get a trophy, and more.

She shares challenges within media echo chambers, groupthink, and a society that is increasingly forgetting the pivotal principles of freedom, character, courage, and personal responsibility. It's filled with very personal stories, mistakes made, and lessons learned including:

Behind the scenes TV struggles
Health challenges, like Lyme disease, that she overcame
Navigating Covid 19 with a newborn in New York City
Masculinity, chivalry, and being a good man
The importance of having practical skills like metalwork, plumbing and tailoring

If anyone was going to try to bring us back to our senses about the need to talk to each other in the civil and open-minded manner that once characterized the American conversation, it almost had to be a no nonsense Italian American woman from Staten Island. And she almost had to be one of our most closely followed over-40, celebrity first time mothers, empowered by the birth experience to advise the (former) employers who made her one of TV’s most watched, political “gladiators” - hey thanks, but we really need to talk to each other.

Unplugged from the agendas of the nation’s most powerful media companies, brazenly opening the mental kimono of a spirited, independent voice to the legions who love her, and have followed her every step of the way in a career that saw her transformed overnight from a NYC public school teacher to a mass market phenomenon, Bila’s much anticipated, break free book also culminates the rise and coming of motherhood of an entire generation of empowered young women; women who will not be controlled, pitted against each other, or programmed to perform, and who value the authenticity of their unapologetically myriad voices above all.

Jedediah Bila writes movingly, wisely and often surprisingly to her new baby boy about the most important things in life.

"I loved this book! I can’t wait to share these letters and their wonderful lessons with my kids.  Thank you, Jed, for highlighting the things that really matter. Dear Hartley is a must-read for parents, young adults, and anyone who wants to help make this world a better place for us all."

Co-host of The View, Sara Haines

"Jedediah’s background of hard work as a teacher and waitress in New York City, before finding her true passion, really hits home with me. Jedediah shares so many great lessons, from following your dreams, to trusting your gut, to navigating life’s challenges with belief in yourself. Dear Hartley is a must-read!”  

–Barbara Corcoran, Shark on Shark Tank; founder of The Corcoran Group

"A beautiful book! Smart, funny, deeply touching, and extremely well-written, Bila has knocked it out of the park yet again. Her unbridled optimism will move readers of all ages. This is absolutely the right book at the right moment in time.”

- Brad Thor, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Black Ice

"An ‘independent thinker’ who ‘has always been an outspoken proponent of common sense and truth, even when she found herself in situations where it wasn’t always welcome’.”

- Variety

BMM Worldwide
Media contact: Suzanne Balaban
Email: suzanne@bmmworldwide.com
Phone: 2127965895

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BMM Worldwide is a New York literary development house. Clients include St. Martin’s Press, W. W. Norton & Co., agent/author Betsy Lerner and Stanford University historian Stephen J. Zipperstein.

This release was published on openPR.