We've Decided to Go in a Different Direction

Essays
When life threw successful Hollywood casting director, wife, and mother Tess Sanchez a messy curve ball, she got down in the mud and threw it right back. Filled with humor, heart, and a touch of bawdiness, this debut essay collection is for readers of Jessi Klein and Sloane Crosley and features a foreword by Max Greenfield.
“Funny, relatable, honest, and most of all, just like Tess Sanchez, a really good time.” —Mindy Kaling, actress and New York Times bestselling author

A funny and heartfelt essay collection about working in Hollywood, starting over, defining your identity, and the relatable messiness that ensues from unforeseen circumstances.

Wife to a well-known actor, the mother of two, a sister, daughter, and general meddler, Tess Sanchez’s life was like a #1-rated sitcom. But the loss of her career as a highly successful casting executive equaled series cancellation. Now, with humor and insight, Sanchez examines the aftermath of a major shift that forever changed the course of her life, and the resilience that came from reframing loss into possibility.

“We’ve decided to go in a different direction” was a phrase Sanchez rattled off to countless agents, actors, producers, and many more. But in the fall of 2020, the tables turned as she was on the receiving end of that phrase, when she lost the long-held job she adored. She quickly discovered how much that career defined her identity, from her personal relationships to her own perception of herself. In the midst of facing this upheaval, her father was diagnosed with a devastating illness and suddenly, Sanchez had to learn what it means to parent her parents.

Moving, witty, and fun, We've Decided to Go in a Different Direction offers you both welcome comedy and empowering strength when it comes to tackling life’s challenges.