From the publisher:
“New York Times bestselling author and southern sensation Kristy Woodson Harvey” (Good Morning America) presents a touching novel about eternal love and the places we call home.
The historic houses in the seaside town of Beaufort, North Carolina, have held the secrets of their inhabitants for centuries. One of the most enduring refuses to be washed away by the tide: What happened to Rebecca and Townsend Saint James on that fateful night of their disappearance in 1976?
Now, the granddaughter they never knew, Keaton Smith, is desperate for a fresh start. So when her mother needs someone to put her childhood home in Beaufort on the market, she jumps at the chance to head south. But the moment she steps foot inside the abandoned house, which has been closed for nearly fifty years, she wonders if she’s bitten off more than she can chew. Wading through the detritus of her grandparents’ lives, Keaton finds herself enchanted by their southern traditions—and their great, big love. As she gets to know her charming next-door neighbor, his precocious ten-year-old son, and a flock of endearingly feisty town busybodies, Keaton begins to wonder if the stories she has been told about her grandparents are true.
Keaton’s grandmother, Rebecca “Becks” Saint James’s annual summer suppers are the stuff of legend, and locals and out-of-towners alike clamor for an invitation to her stunning historic home. But, in the summer of 1976, she’s struggling behind the facade of the woman who can do it all—and facing a problem that even she can’t solve.
As Keaton and Becks face new challenges and chapters, they are connected through time by the house on Sunset Lane, which has protected the secrets, hopes, and dreams of their family for generations.
“The novel to read this year” (Annabel Monaghan) explores the power of family, the boundless nature of love, and the idea that discovering where we came from just might lead us to A Happier Life.“This is women’s fiction at its best.” ― Publisher’s Weekly
“Harvey delivers another beautiful and heartfelt novel filled with romance, mystery, and her signature Southern charm. A multigenerational story told through dual timelines, A Happier Life invites readers to deeply savor its pages.”—Library Journal
https://amzn.to/3RQR6pv
What a compelling read! I started reading it Sunday morning and finished it Sunday evening – and I hated turning that last page. And I’ think ‘m pretty sure I still have a load of towels in the dryer…
The dual timelines really worked here – I wish other authors had this kind of finesse. Keaton never knew her mother’s parents, they died in a car crash before she was born. She also didn’t know that they had a beautiful home in Beaufort, North Carolina, until her uncle asked her to go down there, clean it out and get it ready for sale. The house was essentially abandoned fifty years earlier. Since she just got fired from her job and simultaneously found out her ex and her boss were having a baby, it seemed like a great idea to get out of town.
This home has been in the family for generations; it is older than America, built in the 1700’s. But when Keaton arrives, she is in for a shock. The house has been left a shrine to the 1970’s – it’s as if the family went out one day and never came back. And that is exactly what happened.
Much to her surprise, Keaton is having a hard time throwing anything away. She loves learning to get to know her grandparents, especially her grandmother, Becks, through a book she left for Virginia, Keaton’s mom. The book contains life hacks and recipes, lists of dinner parties, what was served, and who attended. There are tips on conversation starters, how to pick a good mix of people for a successful dinner party, and so on.
Keaton is also getting to know the hunky single dad next door and his amazing son, as well as a group of older women who knew and loved her grandparents. The story moves between what was happening in the 1970’s with Becks, and what Keaton is learning.
I really don’t want to give anything more away except to say Keaton’s grandparents’ death is something of a mystery. The romance, while secondary to the story, adds something special as do the descriptions of the area, the historic homes, and the southern charm. As a bonus, there are a couple of recipes at the end that I can’t wait to try. This is only the second book I’ve read by Harvey, but she is most definitely on my must-read list now, and I’m seeking out her older books as well. If you love multigenerational family stories that really resonate and are filled with charm and lots of heart, you won’t want to miss this glorious read!
7/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
A HAPPIER LIFE by Kristy Woodson Harvey. Gallery Books (June 25, 2024). ISBN: 978-1668012192. 384p.
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