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Angie Kim

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Happiness Falls (Good Morning America Book Club): A Novel (Random House Large Print) Paperback – Large Print, September 12, 2023

by Angie Kim (Author)

4.0 4,761 ratings

Editors' pick Best Books of the Year 2023

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NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK • When a father goes missing, his family’s desperate search leads them to question everything they know about him and one another in this thrilling page-turner, a deeply moving portrait of a family in crisis from the award-winning author of Miracle Creek.

OPRAH DAILY’S #1 NOVEL OF THE YEAR • ONE OF PEOPLE’S TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR • A WASHINGTON POST, BOOKPAGE, KIRKUS REVIEWS, NEW YORK POST, GOOD HOUSEKEEPING, BOOK RIOT, CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY, REAL SIMPLE, CRIMEREADS, AND SHE READSBEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

Belletrist Book Club Pick • Finalist for the New American Voices Award • “This is a story with so many twists and turns I was riveted through the last page.”—Jodi Picoult

“A brilliant, satisfying, compassionate mystery that is as much about language and storytelling as it is about a missing father. I loved this book.”—Gabrielle Zevin, author of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

“I fell in love with the fascinating, brilliant family at the center of this riveting book.”—Ann Napolitano, author of Hello Beautiful

“We didn’t call the police right away.” Those are the electric 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, 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.

Print length

544 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Random House Large Print
Publication date

September 12, 2023
Dimensions

6.07 x 1.2 x 9.13 inches
ISBN-10

0593793757
ISBN-13

978-0593793756
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“This riveting missing-person thriller is really a meditation on happiness that illuminates the power of language and challenges readers’ stereotypes.”—People (Book of the Week)

“One of the smartest, most multi-layered mysteries of the year . . . Deftly crafted and truly riveting, this novel about heartache and hope, the author’s second, proves Kim is a powerful voice that’s here to stay.”—The Boston Globe

“A mystery that tugs at [your] heart.”—The New York Times

“Angie Kim’s powerhouse of a novel offers a probing exploration of the intersection of communication, speech and intelligence that not only gives voice to a silenced population but concludes with a fantastic twist.”—The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“A riveting, suspenseful read that doubles as a nuanced family tale.”—Elle

“[A] deliciously brainy new thriller . . . Happiness Falls dares to unlock the enigma of love at the molecular level while serving up a page-turner.”—The Washington Post

“Both a page-turner and a meditation on a family in crisis . . . full of gorgeous writing, surprising twists, and personal secrets.”—USA Today

“With unexpected humor and aching tenderness, the bestselling author of Miracle Creek forces us to reckon with our definitions of family, ability, and happiness.”—Oprah Quarterly

“Kim uses the parallel investigations of police and family to explore the complex dynamics of interracial marriage, Asian and biracial identity in America, and the nuances of raising a child with special needs. You’ll want to savor every word as Kim plunges the depths of human action and finds love at the center.”—CrimeReads

“A brilliant novel that has everything I want in fiction—great writing, fascinating characters, suspenseful storytelling, and thought-provoking themes. Readers are going to fall in love with Happiness Falls.”—Imbolo Mbue, author of How Beautiful We Were

“I read Happiness Falls in a single day. I can’t remember a book with more layers—this is a nuanced story about bias, language, ableism, racism, and family dynamics—but above all else this is a story with so many twists and turns I was riveted through the last page.”—Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“Happiness Falls is another superlative effort in what is fast shaping up to be a remarkable career.”—#1 New York Times bestselling author David Baldacci

“Brilliant . . . amazing . . . the claim that a book will change your life often seems like exaggeration. Here the potential is real.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“A philosophical family drama that is as page-turning as it is thought-provoking. Book groups will find much to discuss here, especially those who like Celeste Ng.”—Booklist (starred review)

“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.”—Jean Kwok, author of Searching for Sylvie Lee

“[A] revelatory masterpiece . . . 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.”—Anthony Marra, author of Mercury Pictures Presents

“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.”—Mary Beth Keane, author of Ask Again, Yes

“Brilliant, immersive, and deeply moving . . . a book that will change the way you think—a book that will change your life.”—Julia Phillips, author of Disappearing Earth

“Happiness Falls . . . keeps you thinking and guessing and feeling all at the same time.”—Liz Moore, author of Long Bright River

“[A] 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.”—Chris Bohjalian, author of The Lioness

“Kim is a tremendous writer . . . a compelling mystery as well as a guide to managing the uncertainties of life and the challenges of family.”—Steph Cha, author of Your House Will Pay

“One of best mystery novels ever written.”—Gary Shteyngart, author of Our Country Friends

“An exhilarating literary tour de force . . . [Happiness Falls] will introduce you to extraordinary characters whose lives will leave you forever changed.”—Danielle Trussoni, author of The Puzzle Master

“Happiness Falls is on the one hand a profound meditation on the meaning of life and the nature of happiness, while on the other hand a riveting mystery replete with suspense.”—Chris Pavone, author of Two Nights in Lisbon

“This book will stay with you long after you turn the final, satisfying page.”—Alafair Burke, author of Find Me

“[A] rare book that can change your entire outlook on the world.”—Janelle Brown, author of Pretty Things

About the Author

Angie Kim moved as a preteen from Seoul, South Korea, to the suburbs of Baltimore. After graduating from Interlochen Arts Academy, she studied philosophy at Stanford University and attended Harvard Law School, where she was an editor of the Harvard Law Review. Her debut novel, Miracle Creek, won the Edgar Award, the ITW Thriller Award, the Strand Critics’ Award, and the Pinckley Prize and was named one of the best books of the year by Time, The Washington Post, Kirkus Reviews, and the Today show. Angie Kim lives in northern Virginia with her family.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

One

Locke, Bach, and K-pop

We didn’t call the police right away. Later, I would blame myself, wonder if things might have turned out differently if I hadn’t shrugged it off, insisting Dad wasn’t missing missing but just delayed, probably still in the woods looking for Eugene, thinking he’d run off somewhere. Mom says it wasn’t my fault, that I was merely being optimistic, but I know better. I don’t believe in optimism. I believe there’s a fine line (if any) between optimism and willful idiocy, so I try to avoid optimism altogether, lest I fall over the line mistakenly.

My twin brother, John, keeps trying to make me feel better, too, saying we couldn’t have known something was wrong because it was such a typical morning, which is an asinine thing to say because why would you assume things can’t go wrong simply because they haven’t yet? Life isn’t geometry; terrible, life-changing moments don’t happen predictably, at the bottom of a linear slope. Tragedies and accidents are tragic and accidental precisely because of their unexpectedness. Besides, labeling anything about our family “typical”—I just have to shake my head. I’m not even thinking about the typical-adjacent stuff like John’s and my boy-girl twin thing, our biracial mix (Korean and white), untraditional parental gender roles (working mom, stay-at-home dad), or different last names (Parson for Dad + Park for Mom = the mashed-up Parkson for us kids)—not common, certainly, but hardly shocking in our area these days. Where we’re indubitably, inherently atypical is with my little brother Eugene’s dual diagnosis: autism and a rare genetic disorder called mosaic Angelman syndrome (AS), which means he can’t talk, has motor difficulties, and—this is what fascinates many people who’ve never heard of AS—has an unusually happy demeanor with frequent smiles and laughter.

Sorry, I’m getting sidetracked. It’s one of my biggest faults and something I’m trying to work on. (To be honest, I don’t like shutting it down entirely because sometimes, those tangents can end up being important and/or fun. For example, my honors thesis, Philosophy of Music and Algorithmic Programming: Locke, Bach, and K-pop vs. Prokofiev, Sartre, and Jazz Rap, grew from a footnote in my original proposal. Also, I can’t help it; it’s the way my mind works. So here’s a compromise: I’ll put my side points in footnotes. If you love fun little detours like Dad and me, you can read them. If you find footnotes annoying (like John) or want to know what happened ASAP (like Mom), you can skip them. If you’re undecided, you can try a few, mix and match.)

So, anyway, I was talking about the police. The fact is, I knew something was wrong. We all did. We didn’t want to call the police because we didn’t want to say it out loud, much the same way I’m going around and around now, fixating on this peripheral issue of calling the police instead of just saying what happened.

Here goes: my fifty-year-old father, Adam Parson, is missing. At 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, June 23, 2020, he and my fourteen-year-old brother Eugene hiked to the nearby River Falls Park, the same as they had done most mornings since I’d been home from college for the quarantine. We know they made it to the park; witnesses have come forward, a dozen hikers and dog-walkers who saw them together at various points around the waterfall trail as late as 11:10 a.m. At 11:38 a.m. (we know the exact time from the dashcam recording), Eugene was out of the woods, running in the middle of a narrow country road in our neighborhood, forcing a driver who’d run through a stop sign and turned too fast to swerve into a ditch to avoid hitting him. Just before the dashcam video jolts from the crash, you can see a fuzzy Eugene, not stopping, not turning, not even looking at the car or at anything else—just stumbling a little, so close to the car you’d swear he got hit. The screech of the tires and the sound of the car thudding into the ditch, not to mention the chain reaction of the two cars behind it, apparently caused a terrible cacophony of metallic crunching, banging, and squealing that brought people out, and bystanders reported seeing a boy they later identified as Eugene staggering away. It bears note that not one of the five bystanders, three drivers, or two passengers involved in the crash saw my father precede, follow, or accompany Eugene. We confirmed this multiple times, and it is beyond dispute: Eugene was in our neighborhood alone.

While all that was going on, I was in the midst of what I was thinking of as one of the great tragic moments of my life. It’s funny how relative these types of judgments are, how much they can change depending on context: that day has obviously since become The Day Dad Disappeared, but if you’d asked me that morning, I’d have sworn it was The Day of the Big Breakup. Not that it was as dramatic as all that. The breakup itself had, unbeknownst to me, happened earlier through Vic’s semi-ghosting, which I’d noticed but misinterpreted as him needing alone time. This was my first Serious Relationship (as in, one lasting more than six months), and I thought I was being considerate in stepping back rather than nagging for attention and insisting he open up to me and bare his soul or whatever, but what I was apparently actually doing was failing a test of some sort—how much I cared, how much our relationship meant to me, etc. That morning’s call was merely a courtesy notification of the results.

I listened quietly to Vic’s (trying a little too hard to be) cool, matter-of-fact conclusion that he thought it best we “remain separated” because I obviously didn’t care all that much, and it occurred to me that this call was yet another test, which I could pass by acting upset and saying “of course I care” and “it’s just the quarantine and the agony of being apart, the angst of isolation,” blah blah. But I don’t do drama. Also, I was pretty pissed that this guy who usually extolled my “refreshingly low-maintenance lack of game playing” was playing one himself and expecting me to participate and excel. It was juvenile, insulting, and, frankly, more than a little deceitful. Which is exactly what I said as soon as he stopped talking, right before I hung up. (I believe in saying what you’re thinking, as much as is practicable.) I threw my phone across the room—hanging up on an iPhone isn’t nearly as satisfying as slamming down an old-fashioned phone like our kitchen landline, and besides, I had an industrial-strength titanium phone protector—but damned if it didn’t land on my plush comforter.

I was contemplating picking it up to try again when I saw something out the window that stopped me: a boy in a bright yellow shirt, rounding our street corner, running fast. The thing my brain couldn’t reconcile was that the shirt was definitely Eugene’s—I distinctly remembered him wearing it that morning—but that running gait was definitely not. Eugene’s mosaic Angelman syndrome means that he has two distinct sets of genes in his body: some cells with an imprinting defect and some that function normally. The mosaicism makes him “less affected,” without some of the most severe symptoms that can plague AS kids, like seizures and difficulties walking and eating. Eugene can do some things he’s been practicing all his life like using utensils, walking, and even running, but he has issues maintaining consistent coordination and speed. It’s like a tongue twister; you might manage saying it once or twice carefully and slowly, but the longer and/or quicker the utterance, the greater the chances of tripping up. Eugene needed years of therapy just to walk long distances—that’s why the daily hikes to and from the park with Dad, for practice—and I’d always thought he didn’t like running at all. So how was it possible that this boy who appeared to be my little brother was running the length of our long street?

It’s funny with siblings, how you think of them as just there, but then something great or awful happens that unearths and makes visible what Koreans call jeong. It’s hard to explain in English; it’s not any particular emotion—not affection or even love—but a complex bond defined by its depth and history: that sense of belonging to the same whole, your fates intertwined, impossible to sever no matter how much you may want to. I rushed downstairs, threw open the front door, and ran outside, barefoot. “Oh my God, Eugene, look at you go,” I yelled out and clapped and—God, this is so not me, but I couldn’t help it—even whooped and jumped a little.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Random House Large Print; Large type / Large print edition (September 12, 2023)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 544 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0593793757
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0593793756
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.12 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.07 x 1.2 x 9.13 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #72,640 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #233 in Asian American Literature & Fiction
- #1,960 in Family Life Fiction (Books)
- #5,634 in Literary Fiction (Books)

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Angie Kim

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Angie Kim moved as a preteen from Seoul, South Korea, to the suburbs of Baltimore. After graduating from Interlochen Arts Academy, she studied philosophy at Stanford University and attended Harvard Law School, where she was an editor of the Harvard Law Review. Her debut novel, Miracle Creek, won the Edgar Award, the ITW Thriller Award, the Strand Critics’ Award, and the Pinckley Prize and was named one of the best books of the year by Time, The Washington Post, Kirkus, and the Today show. One of Variety Magazine’s inaugural “10 Storytellers to Watch,” Angie has written for The New York Times Book Review, The Washington Post, Vogue, Glamour, and numerous literary journals. She lives in northern Virginia with her family. Happiness Falls is her second novel. Visit her website at www.angiekimbooks.com.

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carilynp

Brilliant, entertaining, thought provoking. What a book! One of my favorites of the year!

Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2023

Verified Purchase

I’m still trying to wrap my head around how the author took what is a complicated plot and condensed it into something so readable and compelling. Picture a missing persons investigation paired with a family drama, so succinct and beautiful.

Meet the Parkson (an amalgamation of the father and mother’s last names) family. They have an unusual family dynamic. Who doesn’t? Stay-at-home white dad Adam Parson and his Korean born wife Hannah Park, a linguist, live in a suburb of DC with their three kids 20-year-old twins Mia and John, who are home from college during the beginning of the pandemic, and non-speaking teenager Eugene, diagnosed with autism and Angelman syndrome, a rare genetic disorder. When the husband/father goes missing, the family is forced to come to terms with how much they are unaware of, and as a result, how they might have inadvertently caused harm. No easy task.

A masterfully crafted perspective of a family as they navigate providing accommodations for a child with special needs. To truly understand what is needed rather than making assumptions. How learning and interpretation of language can aid in understanding. Most importantly, how we can adjust our way of thinking about language. HAPPINESS FALLS is wholly original, giving intrigue, twists, both entertaining and thought provoking. Mia’s character is cheeky, fun, and intelligent and makes a terrific narrator. Her footnotes are fantastic.

Easily one of my favorite books of the year.

6 people found this helpful

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Washington, DC resident

Much more than a novel

Reviewed in the United States on March 2, 2024

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I couldn't stop reading this story. It is at once a missing-person mystery, story of family trauma, eye into Angelman syndrome, treatise on happiness, and introduction to the therapies that can make it possible for people who can't speak and may therefore be considered unintelligent to communicate. That's a lot to tackle in one story--maybe a little too much at times--but Ms. Kim is an accomplished storyteller who makes it work. Glad to have found Happiness Falls.

4 people found this helpful

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A Reader

Disappointing

Reviewed in the United States on February 28, 2024

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I loved Miracle Creek and was looking forward to Happiness Falls, but it was a complete letdown. Interesting premise, and the footnote thing, while a bit gimmicky, was actually okay. I did not enjoy the story unfolding only through the eyes of Mia, who comes off as one of those precocious-but-obnoxious types who isn't nearly as smart as she thinks she is, and who suffers from a large dose of narcissism. It's unfortunate we never get inside the head of her twin, John, or her mother, or, for that matter, the person the story really revolves around, Eugene. Just seems like a long, long, loooooong ramble through Mia's deeply obnoxious thought process, while everyone else remains fairly flat, two dimensional. Unsatisfactory ending, too.

2 people found this helpful

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ScottRichard K.

A Good Mystery and Insightful

Reviewed in the United States on April 1, 2024

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The story is a good mystery that does resolve itself. Not everyone may enjoy this resolution, but you are provided with great insights into this family as it tries to solve the mystery.

One person found this helpful

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#EmptyNestReader

Not a typical missing person mystery.

Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2023

Verified Purchase

"We didn’t call the police right away.”

Thus begins Happiness Falls, the story of a family in crisis. Adam is a stay-at-home dad caring for their 14 year old son, Eugene and the household. Eugene is a non speaker, he was diagnosed with a rare genetic condition known as Angelman Syndrome. Adam and his wife, Hannah, switched roles 3 years ago and she now works outside the home. Twins, Mia and John (20), usually away at college, are home due to the pandemic.

When Eugene comes home from a hike in a nearby park Mia is surprised to see him running, and alone. He and his dad often go to hiking, but Eugene is never alone. Where is their father? Mia, who is prone to running a non-stop “hyperanalytic” monologue in her head (and on the pages of this book) wonders where their dad is but realizes Eugene won't be able to tell her. The police are called and begin their own investigation. Mia tries to assist by reading her father’s research notes on the Happiness Quotient. When the police arrest Eugene the family is shocked to discover many secrets that Adam had been keeping from them.

This is not a typical mystery who-dun-it. It is a story of a family in crisis, a story of family love and forgiveness. Although a work of fiction, Kim says that Eugene’s story is "based on the lives of real people - non speakers who overcame the erroneous, lifelong presumption that they were severely intellectually disabled and learned to communicate through spelling and typing.” The story moved fairly slowly. At times Mia’s tangents together with the inclusion of Adam’s notes on his research felt like a slog. *Be sure to read the author’s note where she discusses what it is like to be judged for having “less than” communication skills (her family immigrated from Korea during her preteen years.) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

10 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Arthur C. Schneider

Just Maybe

Reviewed in Germany on September 22, 2023

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How many times can 'Maybe' be used on a page? Kim's narrator Mia can find avast number of maybe this or maybe that situations to ponder. Mia, we are supposed to believe, is capable of writing a master's thesis, but her thoughts are those of an obsessive 14 year old. Her second guesses and ah-ha moments are the text.
I can't finish this! After 180 pages I just don't care what happened to the father or what Mia is going to trip on next. Other reviewers here have a similar take. Read the 2 and 3 star reviews before you spend your money. Don't let the praises of Chris Payne, Chris Borjalian, Steph Cha (authors I admire) fool you, this is not worth the time it takes. The book will not "change your entire outlook on the world", Janelle Brown.

Amazon Customer

Great book

Reviewed in Australia on January 14, 2024

Verified Purchase

Great book especially if you know someone with Autism

Kevin long

Annoying

Reviewed in Australia on December 26, 2023

Verified Purchase

I found the writers monologue very annoying , it was needlessly tedious and the whole reading experience was like sharing a long car ride with someone who won't stop talking. It felt like reading an essay from a student who was trying to get the word count up to the required sum.

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