"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.
This was my first time reading a Angie Kim novel. I was intrigued by the blurb and grabbed when it became available through my BOTM account.
Happiness Falls begins with the sudden disappearance of Mia's father during what should have been an ordinary day. The story is narrated by Mia, one of the teenage twins, whose sharp and sometimes unreliable voice guided me through the search for answers. What complicates the situation further is that her younger brother, Eugene, who was the last to see their father, has a rare genetic condition that makes him unable to speak. His silence adds another layer of tension, as the family struggles to interpret what he knows and cannot say.
This was a thought-provoking exploration of family bonds, communication and the secrets people keep from each other. Though the mystery of the father’s disappearance is what drives the plot forward, the heart of the novel lies in how each member of the family processes this time of uncertainty and grief.
This was a gripping story with meaningful themes, though the pacing felt uneven at times and occasionally pulled me out of the story. But still, it was a story that opened my eyes to the different layers, seeing through someone elses eyes and felting empathy for an immigrant family, their language barriers and the special bonds with a son/brother with special needs.
Happiness Falls is an original, layered story that is part mystery, part family drama, one that still lingers even though I finished last month.
This book was part of my 2025 Reading Off My Shelf Challenge, #41
