Happiness for Beginners

A Novel

By: Katherine Center

Narrated by: Marguerite Gavin

As seen on Netflix—from the New York Times bestselling author of The Bodyguard and Hello Stranger

Helen Carpenter can’t quite seem to bounce back. Newly divorced at thirty-two, her life has fallen apart beyond her ability to put it together again. So when her annoying younger brother, Duncan, convinces her to sign up for a hardcore wilderness survival course in the backwoods of Wyoming—she hopes it’ll be exactly what she needs.

Instead, it’s a disaster. It’s nothing like she wants, or expects, or anticipates. She doesn’t anticipate the surprise summer blizzard, for example—or the blisters, or the rutting elk, or the mean pack of sorority girls. And she especially doesn’t anticipate that her annoying brother’s even-more-annoying best friend, Jake, will show up for the exact same course—and distract her, derail her, and . . . kiss her.

But it turns out sometimes disaster can teach you exactly the things you need to learn. Like how to keep going, even when you think you can’t. How being scared can make you brave. And how sometimes getting really, really lost is your only hope of getting found.

Happiness for Beginners is Katherine Center at her most heart-warming, captivating best—a nourishing, page-turning, up-all-night read about how to get back up. It’s a story that looks at how our struggles lead us to our strengths. How love is always worth it. And how the more good things we look for, the more we find.

books always better than movie

I really loved it and will probably listen to it again and again. I'm trying to say my 3 happy things everyday.
At first I wasn't sure I'd like the narration style but it immediately grows on you and the changes in voice for different characters is really well done.

The Movie doesn’t do justice

If you think the book is better than the movie, you are correct. Although, to be honest the movie is also good. They take a few things from the book and a lot they leave out but both are worth your time

Wonderful

I wanted this book to keep going. I was sad it was ending. I really enjoyed the story and the performance. I looked forward to getting into my car to listen.

I’ve added Katherine Center to my list!

Sorry Kat, I saw the movie first but didn’t know it was a book at the time… loved the book too, it’s a different feeling hiking through a book knowing the general plot, see what I did there. I can’t say I hate it. My only vice is that Jake is 10 years younger… to each their own, but it’s just hard for me to reconcile that. That’s on me tho. Thank you for a great read and I’m only to another one of your books next… How to walk away :)

Better than I thought

Found out about this book because of Netflix, and the book is way better than the movie, in my opinion. It got off to a rocky start because of narration, but it grew on me. Definitely a book I'll listen to more than once!