A Season of Perfect Happiness by Maribeth Fischer
A Season of Perfect Happiness fundamentally questions what makes a “good” mother, with a propulsive and heartrending portrayal of one woman’s efforts to find her voice.
Ten years after an unspeakable tragedy caused Claire to flee her hometown in Delaware, she finally feels content. She has a quiet, tidy life in Wisconsin, a place she picked at random for its shape on a map. Her careful existence centers on a simple rule: Keep her social circle small and keep the past a secret. But when she meets Erik—a lighthearted theater nerd who gives Claire more of a chance than she’s given herself in a long time—that plan seems increasingly impossible, especially after she finds herself emotionally entangled not only with Erik, but with his ex-wife, Annabelle; their three young children; and a small set of friends, the kind she’d always wanted to have around her.
Life after the accident can be full of joy, Claire realizes—going on a date to see a thousand-pound pig at the state fair, giggling over obscure inside jokes with friends at a music gig, making smoothies while the kids wear their infamous cooking hats. Being a partner, a best friend, a mother. But when a person from her past arrives, Claire’s worst mistake threatens her new life, and the deep friendships she’s made hang in the balance. If Claire chooses to share the parts of herself she has kept locked away for so long, will the family she has built still recognize her—and have a place for her? Or will everything she has spent the last decade working toward fall apart?
Review:
I received a gifted copy of this book from the publisher. All thoughts are my own.
I had not heard of this author or this book before a publicist at Dutton reached out and asked if I would like a gifted copy. After reading the synopsis, I knew this book would be for me, and I was right. I absolutely LOVED this book! I can’t believe that no one is talking about it. We need to change that ASAP, so I will need all of you to go out and buy a copy immediately (or request it from your library) and then encourage all of your friends to do the same. It’s so good! This is definitely one I will read again in the near future.
This beautifully written book follows the journey of Claire, a woman who has spent the last ten years running from her past and trying to build a new life for herself. After a tragic accident ripped her small family apart and drove her best friend away, Claire decided she needed a fresh start and randomly picked the state of Wisconsin as the place of her rebirth. Claire has created a quiet and solitary existence in her new home, spending her days working on her art projects, working out at the YMCA, sharing quiet moments on her porch with her next-door neighbor, and keeping her secrets carefully hidden away. But all that changes when she meets Erik, a charming theater nerd who shows her that it’s possible to open up and let people in again.
As Claire finds herself falling for Erik, she becomes wrapped up in his world. His kids are everything she’s ever wanted, and his ex-wife is the best friend she’s needed after all this time hiding away. Maybe after ten years of solitude, Claire can let herself form new connections and allow herself to be happy.
But just as things start to fall into place, Claire’s past comes knocking on her door in the form of a person she never thought she would see again. Suddenly, all of the progress she has made feels like it’s in jeopardy, and she is faced with a choice: continue to hide her secrets or risk everything she has worked for in order to be free from her crippling past.
Fischer’s writing is exquisite, and this story captivated me from the very first page. The characters are so well-developed that they feel like old friends, and their stories became deeply personal to me. Not since reading Ann Napolitano’s “Hello Beautiful” last year have I felt such a deep connection to the lives of fictional characters. Did some of their reactions seem extreme? Yeah, sometimes, but given the subject matter, I could see how some people may react similarly.
As Claire’s secrets are slowly revealed to us through the first part of the book, I felt shocked and then saddened by what she had gone through. I love it when I feel conflicted by the main character’s actions. The way Fischer revealed this really helped set the stage because we knew how high the stakes were for Claire. She had healed and changed so much since the accident, but we understood what she stood to lose. We also understood the reactions of some of those closest to her when they learned the truth about her past.
Fischer’s writing is poignant and thought-provoking, capturing the complexities of human relationships with honesty and heartache. Through Claire’s journey, readers will find themselves laughing, crying, and ultimately rooting for her to find the happiness she deserves. A chapter toward the end of the book had me openly weeping; it was so beautiful!
This is one of those books that cracked me open and made me feel all sorts of things. Claire’s journey is heartbreaking but hopeful, and if you can make it through the last part of this book without feeling all kinds of emotions, there has to be something wrong with you. Whether you’re looking for a feel-good story to lift your spirits or a poignant exploration of love and loss, this book has something for everyone. This is one of my top books of 2024 and one I will rave about for months to come.
