Life for the family of a disabled child is never easy, but for 14 year old Eugene Parkson who suffers from autism and Angelman syndrome, it’s about to get a whole lot worse. His father Adam retired a few years before from his busy job so he could take over caring for Eugene, and his now 20y old twins Mia and John, enabling his wife Hannah return to work as an expert in linguistics.

Adam not only takes Eugene to all his medical and therapy appointments but also takes him hiking every day on trails along the Potomac river near their home to help improve his mobility. One day, Adam doesn’t return from their walk, Eugene arriving home alone, distressed and frightened but, because he is nonverbal, unable to tell his family, what happened. When the police try to question Eugene about what happened, rather than concentrating on searching for Adam, the family must work together to help Eugene cope with the situation.

This novel is about so much more than a missing person case, which is really a framework for delving into family dynamics and the issues of raising a disabled child in an American Korean family. Told from the point of view of Mia, a smart college student who questions everything and loves philosophical discussions with her Dad, we learn a lot about Angelman syndrome, communication with nonverbal people, racial issues, the treatment of disabled people by the justice system, and how to measure and improve happiness, a fervent interest of Adam’s.

The novel is superbly written and paced, with secrets gradually unfolding as the family learn more about both Adam and Eugene. It's also hard not to feel a great deal of empathy for the whole family and how their life must centre around Eugene and also to feel for Eugene’s frustration, locked in a body that won’t do what he wants and not being able to make himself understood to those he loves. A fascinating read that I really enjoyed.

This was a really compelling mystery coupled with a family drama that I enjoyed from word one. The dynamics of a family in crisis were very well done and I thought the narrative was constructed excellently - the mystery unfolds slowly and there are moments of foreshadowing which lend a real sense of dread. I thought the exploration of non-verbal communication was absolutely fascinating and Eugene as a character was definitely someone to root for. Overall, this was a great read and I would definitely recommend it. I will be thinking about these characters for a long time to come.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This was such an interesting novel! It mixes a mystery, with some science content, an exploration of racism as well as unique character on the son with Angelman Syndrome. You can tell how much effort and care Kim has put into this novel!

This was a fascinating and deeply original read about an American Korean family living in Korean.

Mia is not overly concerned when her father doesn't return home from a walk with her younger brother Eugene, its unusual but she doesn't panic. Then Eugene returns alone, out of breath and bloody, Mia again tries to reason what might have happened and doesn't call the police immediately but as the hours tick by it becomes apparent her father is gone. Eugene, the only person who knows what might have happened, has a rare condition, Angelman syndrome, and cannot speak and so this family implodes.

I really enjoyed how the missing person didn't become the only focus of the book rather it's just one part of this portrait of a family in crisis. I loved Mia as a character, her dialogue and thought processes and how realistic they were, she drew me into this book and made me become invested in this family. The mystery of the missing father almost becomes a secondary strand in this family drama as we get to know them, their history, their relationship with each other and with the world. Intertwining themes of connection , communication, race and language, Kim's writing elevates this story into something wholly unexpected, her research is meticulous
and her compassion shines through her characters, this book really got under my skin..

Original, atmospheric and engaging. I really enjoyed this book.

4 stars.

Happiness Falls is an interesting novel that doesn't quite know what to make of itself. For a mystery, it's quite slow and meandering - mostly down to the narrator's colloquial tone and frequent digressions. Sometimes these are interesting philosophical musings or witty asides, but often they just detract from momentum of the plot. There's a really interesting exploration of the idea of language, non-verbal conditions and selfhood, but the happiness experiments felt superfluous and could have been woven into the plot with a little more nuance.

I reached the end feeling as if I had walked round in circles several times - an effect which echoes trying to retrace the steps of someone who is missing, but is ultimately frustrating.

Happiness Falls by Angie Kim

Mia has two brother John, her twin, and 14-year-old Eugene, who has been diagnosed with autism and Angelman Syndrome. Eugune is non-verbal which made it extremely hard to find out what happened when he goes hiking in the woods with his father, Adam, and then comes back alone. Now they must find Adam and find out what happened to him.

I loved this book! It was extremely well written and told from Mia’s perspective. This book makes you realise that just because a person cannot talk and has a disability does not mean they do not understand us or are ignorant. They can be just as smart and intelligent as we are if not more so, they just cannot express themselves. I have a non-verbal son and from this point on I will not underestimate how much he can understand when we speak to him.

I would like to thank Net Galley and Faber and Faber Ltd for a copy of this eBook in exchange for an honest review.

Having adored the authors previous book Miracle Creek, I had very high expectations for this book.

Whilst the premise was interesting, and I really enjoyed the main character’s narration of the story, I just didn’t connect with the storyline as much as I wanted to.

Happiness falls is an intriguing literary mystery about a missing father, however there is so much more to the story than that.
With themes of disability, race and family bonds, this is a sensitively told, well researched story which focuses more on character and theme than plot. I found the narrative about language and communication to be very insightful and important-
The philosophy of happiness is something that has always interested me and so I was very happy to see a book tackle it in an engaging and understanding way.
sensitive and thoughtful
I look forward to reading more from Angie Kim in the future.

With thanks to Faber and Faber and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this powerful story in exchange for an honest review.

I have so dearly loved the writing of Mary Beth Keane, so her advance praise for Happiness Falls was all I needed to invite my interest. I wanted to love this book, but I just couldn’t engage in the story. I found it long winded and ultimately just a bit of a long slow read, with an unsatisfying ending.

A non verbal teen-ager with autism and Angelman Syndrome, a missing father, plenty of unanswered questions. Well written and engaging, the book raises many questions and portrays complex characters.

After Miracle Creek, I was looking forward to reading this offering from Angie Kim, a superb, detailed, well researched read I am unlikely to ever forget. It is fascinating, profoundly affecting, thought provoking, philosophical, and mesmerising, narrated by 20 year old Korean American, Mia, with her close knit family. Her father, 55 year old Adam Parson, went hiking with his 14 year old son, Eugene, who is autistic and is afflicted with a little known genetic disorder, Angelman Syndrome (I had never heard of it), one of the symptoms means he is unable to speak. Adam has disappeared, a upset, disturbed, and bloodied Eugene returns home alone, the family decide to wait for Adam before reporting him missing to the police, all of this occurring amidst the stresses and background of Covid.

This intriguing and intelligent literary mystery immerses the reader into the emotional heart of this flawed family, each character, their history, the immigrant experience, language, the realistic depiction of the ups and downs in the relationships between family members, the challenges, and their support of Eugene. There is incredible depth in the picture that the author paints of a Eugene locked in his body, his frustrations, struggling to express himself, making him come alive with patience, skill, and humanity. This is so informative and educational when it comes to Angelman's Syndrome, race, culture, and circumstances where society can so often misunderstand and make snap ill thought out judgements. The family are keen to get to the bottom of what happened, an investigation that uncovers Adam's research and analysis into the Happiness quotient, and what it means to be happy.

The slow burn mystery is simply a vehicle used by Kim to explore the complexities of society, life, family, neurodiversity, secrets, and so much more. I can see that some readers may find the level of details provided here, and the footnotes, too much or may feel they draws attention away from the story, but I found them illuminating and helpful, deepening my personal understanding of the issues and the family. I can't imagine just how much time this took Kim to write, I would just like to say how much I appreciated it. This is accomplished storytelling that I hope attracts the many and wide range of readers that it so deserves. Highly recommended. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

Five years ago (almost to the day) I read and reviewed Miracle Creek by this author.
I still think about it now sometimes, and I'm the person who can't remember what I'm currently reading!
So I had highest hopes for this book.
It hit them, every one of them, because, not just the marvelous story telling, but the way it made me stop and think .
How each of the characters felt in that scenario, what COULD have happened, what WILL happen.
I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Adding Kim to my autobuy authors list now.

‘I am here’

50-year-old father of three Adam Parson has gone missing. He was out hiking with his 14-year-old son, Eugene, who is seen running from the woods alone. He arrives home in a frantic state, pushing his older sister Mia to the ground. Where is Adam? Is he dead or alive? Well, the obvious thing is to ask Eugene what he knows but unfortunately he has Angelman Syndrome which means, amongst other symptoms, he is unable to speak. Later, the family unsuccessfully search the park, Adam’s disappearance is a huge puzzle and which is now investigated by Detective Janus. Mia narrates what follows, the situation is made worse by the pandemic and quarantine rules which has a serious impact on the events.

This is an incredibly powerful novel which is so well written, but be warned the authenticity of the plot means there is a lot of maths, science and philosophy which does swamped me a bit on occasions but I do get used to this. I love Mia’s many footnotes too, which you can choose to read or not! However, I become utterly wrapped up in Eugene, and the desire to understand Angelman Syndrome as this is the main feature of the novel which both breaks your heart and makes it surge with joy on occasion. It’s hard to imagine what it must be like to be Eugene as he cannot express his feelings, but the author does a terrific job in making you feel deep empathy.

Eugene‘s portrayal is quite simply superb. He moves me to tears on occasions with parts of the storyline making me gasp in shock at the judgements being made and which reveals such an unpleasant side of human nature. Whilst this is very sensitively done, it equally pulls no punches as it shouldn’t. All the characters in the book are very well portrayed. I love the connection between Mia and her twin brother John, I like her self-awareness and her honesty and the love and care they all have for Eugene, which shines through what follows. The family dynamics are fascinating and often fluctuate which is so true of families and so makes it feel authentic.

As well as shining a light on Angelman Syndrome, it includes other issues such as racism and struggling to adapt to a new country (Korea and the USA) and the learning a new language.

Although it is hard to get a handle on some of the ideas of the book, especially the philosophical thoughts/experiments that Mia’s father is exploring (“the happiness quotient “) this book takes you on a real journey. Yes, it’s a slow burner, especially at the start, but it’s so worth sticking with as I realise I’m really sad now I’ve finished the book. It’s a really good thing to read a book that challenges you in several ways, and this does exactly that. It’s a literary tour de force that’s for sure, and it’s one that will stay with me as I can’t stop thinking about it. Despite the slowness of the start that fact alone in my opinion warrants five stars as it is quite simply a fantastic book. I look forward to reading more books by this hugely talented author.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Faber and Faber for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

This was a compelling book. I like how delicately it handled the Covid Pandemic. I was hooked from the first page until the last.

Angie Kim manages to pack in a remarkable number of ideas and themes into this book without once making it look overcrowded or haphazard. The STEM content was on the high side for me, to be honest, though I admired her diligence in terms of the research that is clearly gone into writing this.

The story, on the other hand, has moments that are almost luminous. Although this is ostensibly about the disappearance of a middle-aged father from a Korean-American family with more than its fair share of secrets, it is more a musing on the nature of family, culture, disability, communication, and language.

After going out for a walk with his son Eugene - who is on the autism spectrum and also has a diagnosis of the more rare mosaic Angelman's Syndrome - Mia's father fails to return home. Instead, Eugene shows up alone, frantic and covered in blood, but unable to communicate what has happened due to his condition.

How we conflate intelligence with fluent speech is one of the many interesting themes of this book - also exemplified by the fact that Mia's mother is looked down upon in America because of her limited English language skills, even though she is highly intelligent, and an educated person.

All in all, this is a really interesting book - essentially a meditation on life masquerading as a mystery story. Well worth reading.