Local author Rita Esterly will be signing copies of her new book, "The Magical Christmas Tree," from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday at Downtown Book and Toy.
Esterly, a former psychologist in Jefferson City who now works in telemedicine, wrote the illustrated children's book as a way to help other families cope with grief and loss. This is Esterly's second book on the subject.
She was initially inspired to write the book while driving her 30-year-old daughter, Ali Esterly, to the airport two years ago. Riding in the car together, the two women talked about how difficult it can be for families to cope with grief during the holidays, and how they wished they could share with others how their family responded to a terrible tragedy years ago.
"She really encouraged me to do it," Esterly said.
The book has 22 illustrations and took about two years to write, Esterly said.
"It's a joyful story about a sad subject," Esterly said. "My hope is that it can help people do something empowering over the holidays, to be more joyful."