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Happiness for Beginners

A Novel

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Happiness for Beginners

Written by: Katherine Center
Narrated by: Ellie Kemper
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About this listen

"Center’s many fans will be delighted, and those who enjoyed the movie will love hearing Kemper narrate the audio. An emotionally narrated novel, full of heart and hope."—Library Journal

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

The audiobook is read by Ellie Kemper, who starred in the screen adaptation of Happiness for Beginners on Netflix. Kemper, also known for her standout roles in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Bridesmaids, and The Office, gives a warm and joyful performance of this novel from the New York Times bestselling author of How to Walk Away and Things You Save in a Fire.

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, binge-worthy, up-all-night listen 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.

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin's Press.

©2015 Katherine Center (P)2023 Macmillan Audio
Genre Fiction Women's Fiction Fiction Heartfelt Feel-Good Happiness Stranger

What the critics say

“Center has written a wonderful story, a fast-paced read with sharp, perfectly written dialogue. Her newest does exactly what we want a good novel to do, introduce us to characters who engage us and take us on a journey.”—Booklist

“If you're anything like us, you'll read this book in one sitting.”—InStyle

“Katherine Center has a true gift for creating a story arc that includes personal evolution, romance, challenges, disappointments, and joy in a way that avoids cliché and creates enough ebbing tension and resolution that the reader is left hungering for more.”—Boston Mamas

What listeners say about Happiness for Beginners

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Pretty Charming

A sweet story with a main character who was relatable in her flaws. Ellie Kemper is the perfect, emotive narrator. I actually preferred the variation of characters in the movie rather than the ones in the book who seemed to meld together a bit. Either way both the book and the movie were a nice hike through the woods - without the blisters!

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Better than the movie, worth it

I watched the movie first, that was ok. But the book is (yes as most of the time) way better. they left out so much as well as changed many facts that made be like the book more that it really feels like a different story. So if you haven’t watched the movie yet but want to, watch it first, because it’s less fun after (i did both). And if you already watched the movie and debating if it’s really worth it also buying the book, my opinion: Yes.

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