"Happy & You Know It" by Laura Hankin

Amidst these stressful COVID-19 times, I wanted to read something light and fun and that is exactly what author Laura Hankin has given me.

This was the first summer after graduating with a Bachelor's Degree in Literature and Writing studies and I wanted something to read that I for once wouldn't have to analyze. I came across the Book of the Month Subscription (BOTM) service and it seemed like the perfect thing for my post-graduation self to check out. Each month, for about $14 you were sent the book of your choosing. You can choose either one of the five so called "book of the months" which is their hand picked selection of five books for the month. Or you can choose from an even larger gallery of their chosen picks. With each book, comes a summary, sometimes an excerpt and always a large amount of reviews. They even show you the percentage of people who like it, love it and dislike it to help you decide.

Since I had just spent about four years of my life enveloped in mostly books from the literary canon I was looking forward to something a little bit more recent. After reading each piece of text in school we were then expected to analyze it and look for meanings beyond the text. This process of reading and writing is something I have grown to love but there is nothing like reading a book and just enjoying it instead. This is something I was hoping to get out of the BOTM service.

For my first book, my May selection, I chose the book "Happy & You Know It" by Laura Hankin. It was just what I was looking for. Something light and simple that I wouldn't have to rack my brain reading. It was so refreshing to dive into something and not worry about the language or the tone of the characters or the author. I was able to loose myself in the simple elegance of a story about people living in New York City just trying to get by both physically and mentally.

Laura Hankin keeps the stories of each character flowing into one continuous story of what it takes to get by as a mother and as a person living in New York City. It was so nice to read something so fresh and new and also exciting to see language my University didn't often include in their required texts.

“Amara was this close to getting promoted to show runner when Daniel went and put a fucking bun in her oven. To be fair, it wasn't entirely his fault."

"Happy & You Know It," centers around one girl, Claire who is a twenty something single woman living in New York City. As a avid fan of Sex in the City, this aspect already caught my attention. Claire was a member of a band who on the brink of fandom and success kicked her out of their group. Now, alone and unsure of what to do, Claire hit rock bottom and somehow managed to find herself again when she met a group of successful New York moms. These woman show her what wealth and friendship look like and because of them she is forever changed. Each chapter of this story alternates character views to give you a fascinating inside look on each character's life and to show you how truly different things are on the inside.

Each character in this book looks flawless on the outside, but when it shifts to their perspectives it is shown that things aren't always as they seem. A couple of the most notable characters in Hankin's book are Whitney, the instagram influencer, Amara the ex-producer, now mother trying to find a place in her home and the world, and Gwen the rich and uptight mother who is married to the seemingly perfect man. Whitney, who runs the playgroup looks perfect to her follow mothers and to all that follow her account, but in fact is very unhappy with her husband. Amara, who combats the world with sarcasm and dark humor, is struggling with not having as much freedom financially and as a new mother. And lastly, Gwen, is floating away from her husband and her seemingly perfect family and towards a much more unconventional path.

When Claire was first introduced to them, as the new musician for their babies, she thought each woman was perfect. Each had their hair done, their makeup perfectly minimal, and their outfits planned to the T. Once she was welcomed in to their group it was clear that this perception was not at all true. Sure, they looked perfect at first glance, but the closer she got to them, the more flaws she began to see.

This book on the surface seemed to be the perfect book about a group of woman just figuring out their lives, but ended up being about so much more. Hankin was even brilliant enough to spice the pages up with passionate and forbidden love affairs.

“Once he had her completely naked, he didn't unbutton his own pants. Instead, as light from the window streamed in, he began to kiss his way down her stomach."

There is much to be discovered on the pages of this lighthearted and fun book. Although I would classify this as a fun, summer read, it is so much more. Laura Hankin's character development is expertly written. You would never believe the characters you are introduced to in the beginning are capable of the things they do in the end.

Although not a mother myself, I could really relate to the characters in this book. And it was such a pleasure to get lost in this world of New York City women just trying to be the best versions of themselves that they can be. Laura Hankin puts a new perspective on how we view others and ourselves in "Happy & You Know It." Teaching us that, although we may put up a front, we are all human underneath and we are only as happy as we allow ourselves to be.