Praise for A Way to Be Happy
"When collected, the stories in A Way to Be Happy offer a multifaceted, even prismatic investigation into the influence of gender on perception, particularly in moments of fear and loneliness." Emily M. Keeler, Globe and Mail
"One of Canadas finest short-story writers considers what it means to find happiness. The characters veer from thieving addicts to a Russian hitman, and offer a multifaceted investigation into the influence of gender on perception, particularly in moments of fear and loneliness." Globe and Mail, The Globe 100
"Adderson . . . is a deft, masterful storyteller whose literary fiction surely deserves more attention." Kirkus Reviews (starred)
"Its difficult to make happiness interesting. Caroline Adderson, however, succeeds with stylish skill. She creates sympathetic characters struggling with inner complexitieswhat it feels like to be a disappointment, or to not be believed, or to lead a passionless life; always offering, though, an encounter providing a respite from loneliness or isolation." Kassie Rose, The Longest Chapter
"Caroline Adderson's stories are delicious: they zip and bubble, and a number are touched with tenderness." Townsend Walker, New York Journal of Books
"Though her writing is incisive, emotionally astute, slyly funny and award-winning, it still feels like Adderson hasnt quite gotten her due as one of this countrys best short-story writers." Emily Donaldson, Globe and Mail
"Many characters wave to others, only to have their heartfelt waves go coldly unacknowledged. Combined with tight, poignant descriptions . . . such moments convey the inner turmoil, emotional loneliness, and absorbing humanity that animate A Way to Be Happy as a whole." Kyle Wyatt, Literary Review of Canada
"When seeking happiness, there is always a cost. The journey is never simplistic, and when it comes to complexity, Adderson is a master." Winnipeg Free Press
"A Way To Be Happy is deeply contradictory in the best possible way, insisting at every turn that regardless of its title, there is, luckily, no such thing as a singular way to be happy." Catherine Marcotte, The Miramichi Reader
"[ Adderson's] characters are diverse, certainly, but one bit of consistency in the stories is that she creates layers for each that turn in unexpected ways. Whether it is secrets withheld or expectations dashed, Adderson keeps the reader guessing. An enthralling and revelatory collection." Timothy Niedermann, Ottawa Review of Books
"For each story, Adderson expertly develops a detailed setting . . . [ and] the author carefully constructs vivid characters from every walk of life. Each one of them making their way to some undetermined fate." Bill Paul, The BC Review
"As the author of many books of fiction and non-fiction, the breadth of Addersons writing experience is evident in her craft. This clever and meticulously crafted collection from a writer who has mastered her art is a pleasure to read." Lori Hahnel, FreeFall Magazine
"Adderson uses an impressively wide range of voices and situations in this collection . . . Short stories can be difficult to sell to people, but Ill always recommend a simple, well-written collection like this one." Anne Logan, I've Read This
"A Way to Be Happy is immensely refreshing, as it not only explores the uniqueness but also showcases the unpredictability of the everyday in a manner only a few writers manage to do." Saurabh Sharma, The New Indian Express
"Addersons prose is straightforward but doesnt flatline; every word choice feels intentional. When she goes into detail, it is perfectly placed to highlight her characters idiosyncrasies, making the reader empathize with their struggles." Isobel Bray, The Tribune
"This well-seasoned author has managed to steer clear of the hazards of kitsch or gratuitousness to produce a near-perfect collection about a bunch of very imperfect yet entirely plausible characters and scenarios." Scout Magazine
"The characters in these stories from veteran of the form Caroline Adderson range from thieving addicts to a Russian hit man to a middle-aged man facing a routine colonoscopy. Through these varied characters and their disparate conflicts, Adderson explores happinesshow we find it and what it means when we do." Quill & Quire
"A superb and unique collection. Intricate, compassionate, complex, its every sentence carefully built, tested, and polished, each story draws the reader into the life of a character hurtling or meandering towards the consequences of their own choices and to the storys necessary conclusion. They will by turn flood you with unexpected sympathy, lighten your mood, or leave you with a puzzle you cant quite solve. No one else writes short fiction the way Caroline Adderson does, and there are only eight stories in the book. The way to be happiest is to savour each one." Kathy Page, Atwood Gibson Writers Trust Fiction Prize-winning author of Dear Evelyn
"Caroline Adderson's voice is as vivid as ever in this exciting new collection, and her characters are unfailingly mesmerizingdistinctive, unpredictable, somehow like everyone yet no one you've ever met before." Lynn Coady, author of Watching You Without Me
"Caroline Adderson builds terrific suspense from her characters lonely, off-centre lives. Each story in A Way to Be Happy is its own mysterious world, shaped by her outstanding powers of imagination and sympathy." Elizabeth Hay, author of Snow Road Station
"Caroline Adderson is one of Canada's best short story writers. A brilliant stylist, her inventive sentences are the trademark of a literary pro." Susan Swan, author of the upcoming memoir Big Girls Dont Cry
Praise for Caroline Adderson
All of Addersons characters are rounded and all have utility, not simply as plot devices but as part of a striving, suffering whole. New York Times Book Review
Caroline Adderson treats the domestic drama with elegance and wit, and what she has to say about her characters and their circumstances is often profound. Meg Wolitzer, author of The Female Persuasion
A prose style as elegant and controlled as a swallow dive . . . No one could ever accuse Adderson of timidity when it comes to subject. The Independent
Arresting . . . [ Adderson] writes with a rare understanding of human frailty. The Times (London)
Adderson excels at portraying life in all its glorious, devastating, unpredictable messiness. Toronto Star
Adderson achieves a remarkable effect with her prose. Its clarity is so overwhelming that it becomes intoxicating. Globe and Mail
