Book Blurb:
“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.
My Review: 4.5 stars
Happiness Falls by Angie Kim has done it again by creating a mystery with a non-verbal Autistic fourteen-year-old boy as the only witness to what happened to missing father. The book starts with one of the best lines ever, that makes you want to read on immediately.
I really enjoyed this family. Mia, a twin, is the narrator of the book and it’s in good hands with her. She’s extremely smart and very close with her dad. Her mom, of Korean descent, is a linguist and takes care of her youngest autistic son and probably relates more with Mia’s twin, John. The family is all together, a lot, because it takes place during Covid lockdown.
Mia’s brain was always working on full speed, and much of her thought processes got put into footnotes mixed within the narrative. The short ones were great, but honestly, I skimmed some of the longer ones. She felt a lot of guilt for some of her actions when Eugene first got home without their dad. This story is a good one for thinking how you would’ve acted in their situation.
The different ways in which linguists and therapists are teaching the non-verbal community to communicate was interesting. I also really enjoyed the twists and red herrings that the author added to the narrative. The secrets exposed were so good! If you like mystery and a good family drama, then pick this up right away.
Quotes I liked:
…inuition trumps intellect, every time.”
“I thought of him the way kids think of parents, which is to say, not at all.”
“Sometimes, it’s a relief to cede control.”
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Opinions trapped in the minds of those who are unable to communicate may best be allowed to remain. I learned to read at age nineteen. Thus, my ability to effectively understand, comprehend and communicate was less than five percent. As I learned to read and learned to apply this new world of knowledge, I found myself reassessing many of my past experiences—some of which came crashing out of the attic. When I retired at age fifty five, I was negotiating large construction contracts, settling large contract claims for time and money and managing a contracting program that I had developed in 1994. This Job Order Contract program is now used throughout government contracting.
While I didn’t do anything growing up that was too terrible learning to learn is more about improving your quality of life. There are no boundaries going in either direction! TRUE STORY
Great comment. Thanks for sharing that.