Some books remind you of life’s precious moments. Moments that you don’t even realize until you know, the end is near. A Happier Life by Kristy Woodson Harvey is the book to remind you. The book is set between two different generations (grandmother and granddaughter) in a southern town on the coast. To me, the book hit on some of my favorite genres of second chances, the love of family, single dad next door and secrets…family secrets. I loved the feel of the small town feeling of Beaufort. The chapters moved between Becks (Grandmother) and Keaton (Granddaughter).
Keaton lost her job and apartment in NYC. Her family asked her to clean out her grandparents house in Beaufort. Keaton walked into a time warp when she went into her grandparent’s house. Keaton’s family never mentioned the house in Beaufort. Grandparents that were never spoken about. A place where her mother grew up, never spoken about. It was like the house had just been left with everything in its place. They never explained what happened to their family, mostly because they really didn’t know. The secrets were slowly revealed as the story progressed.
Becks and Townsend were small town people who lived a robust life in Beaufort. Both kept a journal of their life and struggles. They loved and were loved. Becks knew that she had a gift for bringing people together and she found pleasure in putting on parties. When Keaton started to clean, she found their journals as well as other treasures and through their words began to put together what happened. As Keaton starts to understand their life, her life changes with the man next door and a group of older women who were friends with her family. Suddenly moving back to NYC wasn’t as important.
I loved this novel! I loved the characters! A Happier Life by Kristy Woodson Harvey is a fabulous read!
