THE ACADEMY OF SMOKE AND MIRRORS

Let's be honest: it was crazy spending $150 million to create the world's only Jewish boarding school and put it in rural Georgia.

Crazier still was Jeff Taylor's belief he could save Hampton Acres Hebrew Academy, or HAHA, before it went belly up.

Jeff, a former hedge fund manager and lawyer, thinks he's seen all the curveballs life can throw...until he takes the HAHA helm. There he runs smack into Tower of Babel-like dysfunction. Between the school's evaporating bank account, the founder's daughter, who uses smoke and mirrors to hide HAHA's financial frailty, the dynasty-building lacrosse coach, the school counselor who needs counseling, the needy students and needier parents, Jeff needs a miracle to keep HAHA afloat.

Not one to count on miracles, Jeff wants out before HAHA implodes. But then the danger becomes literal when HAHA receives a rapper's bomb threat. Jeff must decide whether saving HAHA is possible...or whether he'll be lucky to save himself.

ALEXANDER TROY worked at two Jewish schools, teaching history at one and serving as Head of the other. Alex also worked as a lawyer and investor. He is a graduate of Yale. Harvard Law and St John's College (Annapolis). He is a board member of Ever Scholar, which offers lifelong learning programs.

JIM PARRY had a long career in advertising. He had a thriller published by HarperCollins, co-wrote comic screenplays sold to Columbia and Universal and blogged for Huffington Post. Most recently. his book of non-fiction dark humor about various ways the world may end. THE TOP 10 AS WE HIT BOTTOM. was published by Skyhorse.

You may order The Academy of Smoke and Mirrors: A Boarding School on the Brink by Alexander Troy and Jim Parry from:

• Rakestraw Books in Danville: https://www.rakestrawbooks.com/book/9798988235804
• Orinda Books in Orinda: https://www.orindabooks.com/book/9798988235804
• Mrs. Dalloway's Bookstore in Berkeley: https://www.mrsdalloways.com/book/9798988235804
• Your preferred local bookstore or online retailer

Admission is free. Upon registration, you will first receive a confirmation email. An hour before the program begins, we will email the Zoom link you need to join the event. If you don't see these emails, please check your spam/junk folder to retrieve them. We suggest you add notifications@wixevents.com to your contacts list as well.

Sponsored by CCJCC, Cong. B'nai Shalom and Jewish Book Council in partnership with Diablo Valley Hadassah.