Her Own Happiness, Eden AppiahKubi
Her Own Happiness, Eden AppiahKubi
List: $35.99 | Sale: $25.20
Club: $17.99

Her Own Happiness

Author: Eden Appiah-Kubi

Narrator: Tamika Katon-Donegal

Unabridged: 8 hr 24 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 09/05/2023


Synopsis

It’s never too late to come of age in this compassionate and refreshing novel about friendship, self-discovery, and moving on by the author of The Bennet Women.Maya Davis is living in paradise until her apartment, her career, and her dreams fall away in a horrible and dramatic fashion. Suddenly she’s packing her life into two suitcases and heading back to her parents’ home in Maryland, scrambling for a plan B. Happy thirty-first birthday, Maya.Right beside her is Ant, Maya’s best friend. While she’s returning home, Ant’s leaving his for the first time. Even though he moved away to start his own adventure, Ant can’t seem to separate himself from Maya—and he’s not sure he wants to.Thinking practically for once, Maya makes her top priority finding a career—or at least a job with health insurance. But when she’s drawn into the orbit of Emme Vivant, the influential girlboss decides Maya has potential. Suddenly there are new contacts, new clothes, and the possibility of a shiny new future that could make this move home worthwhile. But is Maya finally in control of her life, or is she losing it?Just as Ant’s platonic feelings for Maya deepen, his best friend in the world seems to be moving on without him.In this tender and vibrant novel, Maya learns that finding the right path might not matter as much as finding herself—and who’s beside her on the journey.

About Eden Appiah-Kubi

Eden Appiah-Kubi fell in love with classic novels in fourth grade when her mom read her Jane Eyre, chapter by chapter, as a bedtime story. She’s an alumna of a small New England university with a weird mascot (Go Jumbos!) and a former Peace Corps volunteer. Eden developed her fiction writing through years spent in a small Washington, DC, critique group. Today she works as a librarian and lives in the DC suburbs with her husband and hilarious daughter.


Reviews

Goodreads review by scthoughts on August 16, 2023

I wish I loved the book but it wasn't for me. What I liked: 1) The cover.  2) Dual POV. 3) Representation of their sexual identities and mental health. What I didn't like: 1) To keep it all the way real, I barely remember much of what happened. Very low intrigue, investment and bored for most of i......more

Goodreads review by Sharni on September 22, 2023

I enjoyed this authors previous book, so I was happy to read this book also. Unfortunately I didn't enjoy this one quite as much. Her Own Happiness follows Maya, a 31 year old who has to move from Hawaii to Maryland, back in with her parents. Her best friend Ant decides to move with her, but while M......more

Goodreads review by Shannon on September 11, 2023

I really enjoyed this story about two queer, Black friends in their early 30s trying to figure out life during the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. When the lockdown throws her life into chaos, Maya, a fat, queer, woman decides to move back home to DC and not willing to lose her friendship, her ace......more

Goodreads review by Lulu on October 14, 2023

This was a disappointment for me. If the characters were straight out of high school and this was labeled as young adult, the story may have gone over better. But as a 30+ year old, black woman (like our main character) the overall story was unrelatable. It was choppy, underwhelming, and underdevelo......more

Goodreads review by Anna on February 07, 2024

First and foremost, I want to make it very clear that this book has exceptional fat and queer representation. Like seriously so so good. Both MCs are Fat and queer, one pansexual and one asexual. It hurts me a little bit to say that this isn't a favorite but after I've sat with it for a minute the r......more


Quotes

“[A] fresh, bold take from Appiah-Kubi…It’s fascinating to watch this story play out from a new perspective, and the themes of self-awareness and healing resonate. Readers will have no trouble rooting for Maya to find happiness.” Publishers Weekly"A beautiful coming of age novel about friendship and self-discovery." The Root"At heart, Her Own Happiness is a cozy, good-natured tale of love and friendship, following characters who do not define themselves by their hip body piercings or artsy tattoos but, rather, through kindness toward others. Appiah-Kubi combines escapist descriptions of fashion and travel with an honest look at how so many of our lives have been shaped by COVID-related isolation and uncertainty." Washington City Paper