Angie Kim joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about her new novel, HAPPINESS FALLS, which packs so much between its pages. It's a family story with a mystery woven through. And much of the book revolves around the young son, Eugene, who has Angelman syndrome --- and what he may know about the disappearance of their father/husband.

Angie talks about how long this story was in her head --- more than a decade --- and why she felt that this was the right time to tell it. She notes that she aimed to look at the impact of someone who is verbally disabled on the entire family. And she wanted to address how those who are different may be in jeopardy when being looked at by law enforcement as they would not be attuned to things like Eugene's jumping to calm himself or the verbal noises he makes. These cues could keep someone who is disabled from protecting themselves. She also discusses her creative writing work with students who have issues with oral communication and shares how the person who performs Eugene's part for the audiobook was hand-selected by her from among this group.

Book discussed in this episode:

HAPPINESS FALLS by Angie Kim

https://www.bookreporter.com/reviews/happiness-falls

Latest "Bookreporter Talks To" Interviews:

Melanie Benjamin: https://youtu.be/Vl-uEWGAnn4

Shari Lapena: https://youtu.be/zCT_Z1nJPT0

Tracey Lange: https://youtu.be/NvMLQsooDvQ

Naomi Hirahara: https://youtu.be/pwvkwqt2No

Liz Nugent: https://youtu.be/pH2HEvvyiAo

Alli Frank and Asha Youmans: https://youtu.be/d02mLanJV8g

Carolyn Mackler: https://youtu.be/L4M-w9BeaTk

Adrienne Brodeur: https://youtu.be/6U7kf2KVtco

Lisa See: https://youtu.be/D8XYEYI60Ww

Nancy Horan: https://youtu.be/49bdiHbIUmY

Linwood Barclay: https://youtu.be/pkDG90y9FN0

Alice Elliott Dark: https://youtu.be/9AAk-lLDRbc

Check out our past "Bookaccino Live" Book Group events:

Nita Prose: https://youtu.be/f_Ev0KN8z2M

Chamaine Wilkerson: https://youtu.be/0DluxmfXGoI

Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray: https://youtu.be/rYelwWiTJbE

Janet Skeslien Charles: https://youtu.be/47Sx9DtcAkA

Miranda Cowley Heller: https://youtu.be/gVlKvApDO8M

Sign up for newsletters from Bookreporter and Reading Group Guides here: https://tbrnetwork.com/newsletters/

FOLLOW US on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bookreporter

Website: https://www.bookreporter.com

Art Credit: Tom Fitzgerald

Edited by Jordan Redd Productions