Set in France, Italy, New York and China, in the past and present, this National Book Award-shortlisted title examines notions of the divine.
Joan Silber Books
Joan Silber is the author of six previous works of fiction. Her prose is marked by its deep psychological insight and masterful portrayal of human relationships. Silber often explores the complexities of human nature and the moral dilemmas her characters face. Her style is known for its precision and its ability to capture the subtle nuances of human experience.
An ingenious examination of belief systems, beginning with some fiercely principled young anarchists in 1920s New York and spinning the dial to take in India, Paris and Occupy Wall Street.
A bold and piercing novel about a young single mother, her eccentric aunt and the decisions they make that have unexpected implications for the world around them.
Ethan, a young lawyer in New York, learns that his father has long kept a second family - a Thai wife and two kids living in Queens. In the aftermath of this revelation, Ethan's mother spends a year travelling abroad, returning much changed, just as her now ex-husband falls ill. Across town, Ethan's half brothers are caught in their own complicated journeys: one brother's penchant for minor delinquency has escalated and the other must travel to Bangkok to bail him out, while the bargains their mother struck about love and money continue to shape all their lives. As Ethan finds himself caught in a love triangle of his own, the interwoven fates of these two households elegantly unfurl to touch many other figures, revealing secret currents of empathy and loyalty, the bounty of improvised families and the paradoxical ties that weave through life's rich contours. With a generous and humane spirit, Secrets of Happiness elucidates the ways people marshal the resources at hand in an effort to find joy
