Once More with Chutzpah

An intensely readable and moving YA debut about a Jewish girl who grapples with questions of cultural identity, mental health struggles, and sexuality on an unforgettable trip to Israel.

When high school senior Tally and her twin brother Max head off on a weeklong exchange trip to Israel over their winter break, Tally thinks it will be a good distraction for Max; he might be trying to hide it, but Tally knows he's still struggling in the wake of a car crash that injured him and killed the driver, who was driving drunk on the way home from a party. Maybe this will help him get back on track and apply to college the way he and Tally always planned. But as the group travels across the country, Tally realizes her plan might not be working, and that her brother might not be the only one struggling with a major life turning point. And when a new relationship gets complicated in the face of her own anxiety spirals and questions about her sexual identity, and she faces complex questions about the country's history and her place in the Jewish diaspora, she finds herself grappling with even bigger thoughts about what's next once they get home.

Debut author Haley Neil offers a relatable and deeply felt story about identity on the cusp of adulthood.

About the Author

Haley Neil is a writer and current MFA candidate at The New School, studying Writing for Children and Young Adults. Before this degree, she obtained her Masters in Education while working full time as a preschool teacher. Additionally, she studied at NYU, where she majored in English with a double minor in Art History and Creative Writing. She was selected for the Professional Edge Program, where she obtained an additional Publishing Certificate.

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