Harvard Book Store welcomes Sara Hamdan—former New York Times journalist and Netflix short story award winner—for a virtual event to celebrate the release of her new novel What Will People Think?. She will be joined in conversation by Hana Jabri—Harvard University alumnus with a diverse professional background spanning international relations, government, and the biotech industry.
This event will be held on Zoom on Monday, May 19, 2025 at 1:00pm ET.
Ticketing
There are two ticket options available for this virtual event. Ticket holders will receive the Zoom link via email from Eventbrite 24 hours before the event. For those who cannot watch the presentation at 1pm ET, this event will be recorded and a link to the video will be sent to those who registered a few days after the event.
Free Access to the Virtual Event: Includes an admission link to the Zoom webinar.
Book-Included Access Ticket (U.S. customers only): Includes an admission link to the Zoom webinar and one hardcover copy of What Will People Think? plus U.S. media mail shipping. Please note: We cannot ship outside of the U.S. Books will be shipped to book-included ticket holders AFTER the virtual event on May 19th. Book-included ticket holders will receive an email from Harvard Book Store when their book ships.
About What Will People Think?
Mia’s secret comedy career, forbidden office crush, and a long-guarded family secret take center stage, threatening her newfound confidence and her one shot at fame in this hilarious, heartfelt coming-of-age story perfect for fans of Curtis Sittenfeld and Etaf Rum.
Mia Almas has a secret. By day, she works at a respectable job as a media fact checker—a position her conservative, Arab grandparents approve of—and, by night, she takes to the stages of New York City comedy clubs. She holds herself back in a lot of ways, especially in the romance department, but being on stage lights her up and makes being a wallflower the rest of the time more bearable. That is, until Phaedra, her stylish and bold new neighbor, inspires Mia to take a few risks.
As Mia pursues a forbidden romance with her boss, her standup gets better and bolder, leading to a surprise spotlight that exposes her secret gig. Horrified and worried that her rebellious act could mean big consequences for her reserved Palestinian-American family, Mia frantically dives into damage control. But all of her efforts to pull back from the spotlight expose a family scandal from the 1940s that could change everything. . .
Equal parts funny and tender, What Will People Think? is a heart-bursting exploration of what it means to discover and embrace the hidden parts of yourself, and how love in all forms can make you whole.
Bios
Sara Hamdan, a Berkeley and Columbia graduate, is a former Merrill Lynch banker, New York Times journalist, and editor at Google. After winning a Netflix short story award, she received the First Chapter: Emirates Literature Foundation Seddiqi First Chapter Writers’ Fellowship for her debut novel, What Will People Think? Sara is Palestinian American, raised in Greece, and has called Dubai home for twenty years. When she’s not typing away at her laptop, she loves to spend time at the beach with her husband and two kids.
Hana Jabri holds a Master’s Degree from Harvard University and has a diverse professional background spanning international relations, government, and the biotech industry. With over a decade of experience in management, public relations, and strategic planning, she has built an extensive network across the U.S. and the MENA region. Hana previously worked for the UAE Embassy and later served in the U.S. government before transitioning into the private sector, where she now focuses on biotech and life sciences. In addition to her professional work, she remains engaged in initiatives supporting regional development and is currently working on her first book.
