Fiction Review: Happiness

According to my very long list of books I want to read on an Excel spreadsheet, I first heard about Happiness by Aminatta Forna at Booktopia, an annual, very unique book event held in Vermont each May where authors and readers hang out together and talk books all weekend. I'm guessing this book was a recommendation from one of the booksellers at Northshire Books, the fabulous bookstore that hosts the event, and as usual, it was an excellent suggestion. I loved this novel about two very different people whose lives intersect one winter in London. It was perfect comfort reading while I had COVID in January.

Jean is an American wildlife biologist who is living in London while studying urban foxes (a real-life issue there). She is divorced (in large part due to her devotion to her work) and has a teenage son back home in Massachusetts. She loves her job and her sideline designing rooftop/patio gardens for city residents, but she leads a fairly lonely, isolated life. She has a whole cadre of local people--doorman, cab drivers, street cleaners, security guards, and more--helping her to monitor foxes and reporting back to her when and where they see them. Attila is a a psychiatrist from Ghana who specializes in PTSD. His job normally takes him to the worst places/times, to war-torn countries where he counsels and helps both soldiers and civilians who have witnessed or been a part of horrifying events. But he is in London to give a keynote speech and also for a personal mission. Jean and Attila literally bump into each other one night on the Waterloo Bridge, and after that, they cross paths several more times. While in London, Attila's "niece," Ama, gets swept up in an immigration crackdown (even though she is there legally), and her son, Tano, goes missing. Attila begins to search for Tano while Ama is in the hospital, and Jean offers to help, along with her diverse group of "fox spotters." Jean and Attila get to know each other, and their friendship deepens, as each deals with his or her own issues and grief.

This is a warm, quiet novel that is also very thoughtful. Both Jean and Attila, very different people leading different lives, are struggling with a wide variety of issues in their own lives. Both are very lonely and are drawn to each other almost immediately. The novel addresses such diverse issues as war, dementia, immigration, divorce, and grief, but always with a gentle touch. I learned a lot about wolves, foxes, and PTSD. But the focus here is on the characters. As I read, I became deeply invested in both Jean and Attila and came to care about them. Forna's writing is beautiful, and this quiet novel set in winter was the perfect distraction and comfort while I was sick. I would definitely like to read more from Aminatta Forna (she has written three other novels and a memoir).

312 pages, Grove Press

Recorded Books

This book fit in the following Reading Challenges:

 Mount TBR Challenge - I finally read a book from my shelves!

H in Alphabet Soup

Diversity Reading Challenge

Ghana and UK in Travel the World in Books Challenge

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