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A Happier Life
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Table of Contents
About The Book
“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.
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.
Appearances
MAY 6
17:00:00
in person
MAY 27
17:30:00
in person
South Main Book Company
In Person
Discussion & book signing
110 South Main Street
Salisbury, NC 28144
MAY 28
19:00:00
in person
Quail Ridge Books
In Person
Book Signing
4209-100 Lassiter Mill Rd
Raleigh , NC 28501
MAY 29
0:00:00
in person
Silver Coast Winery
In Person
Tickets include a glass of wine, a copy of her book, light Hors d'oeuvres, and a meet and greet with the Author.
6680 Barbeque Rd NW
Ocean Isle Beach , NC 28469
MAY 31
14:00:00
in person
Exploration Commons
In Person
In-conversation & book signing
50 E Main St
Westminster , MD 21157
JUN 1
12:00:00
in person
The Garment Factory
In Person
Luncheon
40 E Madison Street
Franklin , IN 46131
JUN 2
19:00:00
in person
Cuyahoga County Public Library - Brooklyn Branch
In Person
Discussion & book signing
7619 Memphis Ave
Brooklyn , OH 44144
JUN 3
19:00:00
in person
Lark & Owl Booksellers
In Person
Signing
205 6th St.
Suite 101
Georgetown , TX 78626
JUN 4
0:00:00
in person
Interabang Books
In Person
Discussion & book signing
5600 W. Lovers Lane
Dallas , TX 75209
JUN 5
19:00:00
in person
Fabled Bookshop & Cafe
In Person
In-conversation and signing
215 S 4th St.
Waco , TX 76701
JUN 6
19:00:00
in person
Doylestown BookShop
In Person
Book signing
16 S. Main Street
Doylestown , PA 18901
JUN 7
17:00:00
in person
Beaufort Linen Company
In Person
Sip and Sign
331 Front St.
Beaufort , NC 28516
JUN 16
12:30:00
in person
The Plymouth Library
In Person
Library event
132 South St.
Plymouth , MA 02360
JUN 16
19:00:00
in person
United Theatre
In Person
Author talk and signing
5 Canal St.
Westerly , RI 02891
JUN 18
11:30:00
in person
Rehoboth Beach Country Club
In Person
luncheon, talk + book signing with Kristy Woodson Harvey and Kristin Harmel
221 West Side Drive
Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971
About The Author
Photograph by Bud Johnson
Kristy Woodson Harvey is the New York Times bestselling author of nine novels, including The Wedding Veil, Under the Southern Sky, and The Peachtree Bluff series, which is in development for television with NBC. A Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s school of journalism, her writing has appeared in numerous online and print publications, including Southern Living, Traditional Home, USA TODAY, Domino, and O. Henry. Kristy is the winner of the Lucy Bramlette Patterson Award for Excellence in Creative Writing and a finalist for the Southern Book Prize. Her books have received numerous accolades, including Southern Living’s Most Anticipated Beach Reads, Parade’s Big Fiction Reads, and Entertainment Weekly’s Spring Reading Picks. Kristy is the cocreator and cohost of the weekly web show and podcast Friends & Fiction. She blogs with her mom, Beth Woodson, on Design Chic, and loves connecting with fans on KristyWoodsonHarvey.com. She lives on the North Carolina coast with her husband and son where she is (always!) working on her next novel.
Product Details
- Publisher: Gallery Books (June 25, 2024)
- Length: 384 pages
- ISBN13: 9781668012192
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Raves and Reviews
“This is women’s fiction at its best.”
– Publisher's Weekly
If you love small towns, Southern charm, romance, family sagas, or murder mysteries, this novel needs to be in your beach bag. I loved it.
– —Emily Giffin, New York Times bestselling author
With A Happier Life, Kristy Woodson Harvey takes us to a mysterious long-abandoned house on Sunset Lane, where family secrets whisper forth from the woodwork, summoning readers to partake of a dazzling buffet of old heartaches, friendship, family lore and yes, a second chance at love. A Happier Life is that wistful, sparkling summer song whose notes will long linger in reader's memories.
– —Mary Kay Andrews, New York Times bestselling author of Summers at the Saint and The Homewreckers
Kristy Woodson Harvey has the voice of a best friend; a storyteller of the finest sort.
– —Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times bestselling author
A beautiful, big-hearted book that had me furiously flipping pages to solve the mystery! Full of Southern charm and characters that will stay with you. A magnificent read!
– —Jennifer Probst, New York Times bestselling author
Everything about this novel reminded me of drinking sweet tea on a warm summer’s night while relaxing on a wide Southern porch, a ceiling fan slowly turning the air overhead. I smiled as I read the first page and breathed a contented sigh as I read the last—because A HAPPIER LIFE made me happier, too. Don’t miss it!
– —Brenda Novak, New York Times bestselling author of Tourist Season
Kristy Woodson Harvey takes a family of broken people and puts them back together with her signature humor and wisdom. Beautifully written and deeply emotional, A HAPPIER LIFE is a family mystery wrapped in a love story and is also a gracious nod to tradition and the people who came before us. This is the novel to read this year.
– —Annabel Monaghan, bestselling author of Same Time Next Summer
Resources and Downloads
High Resolution Images
- Book Cover Image (jpg): A Happier Life Hardcover 9781668012192
- Author Photo (jpg): Kristy Woodson Harvey Photograph by Bud Johnson(0.1 MB)
Any use of an author photo must include its respective photo credit
