On Sale Sep 26, 2023
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When a father goes missing, his family’s desperate search leads them to question everything they know about him and one another—both a riveting page-turner and a deeply moving portrait of a family in crisis from the award-winning author of Miracle Creek
“Brilliant, immersive, and deeply moving, Happiness Falls is more than just a fantastic story well told. It’s a book that will change the way you think—a book that will change your life.”—Julia Phillips, bestselling author of Disappearing Earth, finalist for the National Book Award
“We didn’t call the police right away.” Those are the first words of this extraordinary novel about a biracial Korean-American family in Virginia whose lives are upended when their beloved father and husband goes missing.
Mia, the irreverent, hyperanalytical twenty-year-old daughter, has an explanation for everything—which is why she isn’t initially concerned when her father and younger brother Eugene don’t return from a walk in a nearby park. They must have lost their phone. Or stopped for an errand somewhere. But by the time Mia’s brother runs through the front door bloody and alone, it becomes clear that the father in this tight-knit family is missing and the only witness is Eugene, who has the rare genetic condition Angelman syndrome and cannot speak.
What follows is both a ticking-clock investigation into the whereabouts of a father and an emotionally rich portrait of a family whose most personal secrets just may be at the heart of his disappearance. Full of shocking twists and fascinating questions of love, language, race, and human connection, Happiness Falls is a mystery, a family drama, and a novel of profound philosophical inquiry. With all the powerful storytelling she brought to her award-winning debut Miracle Creek, Angie Kim turns the missing person story into something wholly original, creating an indelible tale of a family who must go to remarkable lengths to truly understand one another.
Praise for Happiness Falls
“Happiness Falls is a riveting, revelatory masterpiece by one of the finest novelists working today. I stayed up half the night to finish this novel, and when I woke in the morning, I turned back to the first page to begin again. It’s that good.”—Anthony Marra, New York Times bestselling author of Mercury Pictures Presents and A Constellation of Vital Phenomena
“Happiness Falls is the best kind of mystery—one that keeps you thinking and guessing and feeling all at the same time. I loved getting to know these characters, and I will miss them now that the book is over.”—Liz Moore, New York Times-bestselling author of Long Bright River
“A sublime literary mystery that is a mesmerizing update to the missing person story, a layered and innovative exploration of family, love, happiness, and race. A gorgeous read that grips both heart and mind.”—Jean Kwok, New York Times bestselling author of Girl in Translation and Searching for Sylvie Lee
“Happiness Falls is a rarity: a riveting page-turner about a missing man and a precise (and luminous) exploration of what it’s like to be the teens he has left behind. The twists are surprising and the turns are moving. You will fall in love with this family—and this novel. It’s a treasure.”—Chris Bohjalian, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Flight Attendant and The Lioness
“An exhilarating literary tour de force—one part mystery, one part family drama, one part interrogation of the meaning of happiness, it will introduce you to extraordinary characters whose lives will leave you forever changed. An incredible achievement.”—Danielle Trussoni, New York Times bestselling author of The Puzzle Master
“I began reading Happiness Falls expecting a murder mystery. What I got was the most moving and humbling portrait of humanity I’ve read in quite some time—a reminder that each one of us, no matter what outward appearances may imply, carries within us a flame of hope and life.”—Mary Beth Keane, New York Times bestselling author of Ask Again, Yes
“In the profound and moving Happiness Falls, Angie Kim weaves a suspenseful missing-person mystery, yes, but also invites readers to explore fundamental questions about the meaning of happiness, human connection, and even life itself. This book will stay with you long after you turn the final, satisfying page.”—Alafair Burke, New York Times bestselling author of Find Me
“Angie Kim has written that rare book that can change your entire outlook on the world. Part page-turning mystery, part meditation on the power of expectation, Happiness Falls will both open your eyes and tear your heart apart.”—Janelle Brown, New York Times bestselling author of Pretty Things
