The Sad Truth About Happiness: A Novel

by Anne Giardini

Overview

A beautiful and affecting novel — bittersweet and comic — on the elusive nature of happiness

Maggie is in her early thirties, gainfully employed, between relationships, and ready for a change. But when she takes a quiz in a magazine that promises to predict the date of a person's death, she's shocked to learn she's going to die before her next birthday unless she can somehow discover contentment in life. What ensues is a quirky and satisfying journey in pursuit of true happiness, a quest that leads to unexpected joys and perceptions.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780060741778
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	08/01/2006
Series:	P.S. Series
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	766,557
Product dimensions:	5.31(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.68(d)

About the Author

Anne Giardini is a lawyer and mother of three. She has written and published essays, stories, and articles on many topics and was a columnist for the National Post, one of Canada's national newspapers. She lives in Vancouver, Canada.

What People are Saying About This

Fay Weldon

“A fully formed new voice, poignant, funny and acute.”

Editorial Reviews

A fully formed new voice, poignant, funny and acute.” — Fay Weldon, author of Wicked Women

“Charming…a pleasantly entertaining journey.” — Publishers Weekly

“A touching read...[that] may remind us of Carol Shields in its sensitive handling of rich characters and domestic detail.” — Library Journal (starred review)

“Giardini appreciates the difference between happy enough and deeper satisfaction, and parses these nuances with an appealingly light touch.” — New York Newsday

“Giardini’s peripatetic style reveals an attractive curiosity about the infinite variety in people’s lives, both happy and sad.” — Washington Post Book World

“A confident voice and a luminous lyrical prose style.” — Boston Globe

“Giardini deserves applause for her debut effort. She clearly demonstrates a talent for distilling moments that touch the human heart.” — Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“First-time novelist Anne Giardini delivers a powerful story [and] a character for the ages.” — BookPage

From the Publisher

A confident voice and a luminous lyrical prose style.

Boston Globe

First-time novelist Anne Giardini delivers a powerful story [and] a character for the ages.

BookPage

Giardini deserves applause for her debut effort. She clearly demonstrates a talent for distilling moments that touch the human heart.

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Giardini’s peripatetic style reveals an attractive curiosity about the infinite variety in people’s lives, both happy and sad.

Washington Post Book World

A fully formed new voice, poignant, funny and acute.

Fay Weldon

Giardini appreciates the difference between happy enough and deeper satisfaction, and parses these nuances with an appealingly light touch.

New York Newsday

Giardini deserves applause for her debut effort. She clearly demonstrates a talent for distilling moments that touch the human heart.

Atlanta Journal-Constitution