An unusual encounter turns into a serendipitous yet life-changing situation in Eva Woods’ latest uplifting work of women’s fiction.
The last thing Annie Hebden wants is a friend. At 35, Annie is down in the doldrums, having had her fair share of troubles in the past and now dealing with her mom, who is in the advanced stages of dementia. Annie is in the middle of sorting out an issue with the hospital staff regarding her mom’s care when a strangely dressed gal named Polly Leonard strikes up a conversation with her. The following morning, Polly shows up on Annie’s doorstep. Polly, who has a brain tumor and only three months to live, insists on brightening Annie’s life by challenging her to experience 100 days of happiness.
Annie is dubious at first, but she is pleasantly surprised when the daily challenges lighten her mood. Although Annie makes great strides with the project, what remains is whether or not she can complete the challenge before Polly’s time is up.
Inspired by the “100 Happy Days” challenge, Woods presents a hilariously uplifting and heartwarming story of hope in the midst of despair. Her easygoing writing style engages the reader from the get-go, turning a 400-page novel into a light read. While Annie and Polly stand at the forefront, Woods weaves in an interesting, well-developed supportive cast, many of whom act as foils to build up Annie’s character.
Lightly reminiscent of the movie The Bucket List but successfully avoiding hackneyed scenes, Something Like Happy includes a little bit of everything—even the hope of romance. This is an enjoyable read that needs to spread far and wide.
This article was originally published in the September 2017 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.
