“This Is Happiness” by Niall Williams
This coming-of-age novel is set in 1958 in Faha, a tiny village in County Clare near the western coast of Ireland. The story is told from the vantage point of 78-year-old Noel Crowe, who was 17 during the events of the book, when he went to live in Faha with his grandparents during the months that electricity came to the village. It’s funny and warm without being idealized or sentimental.
Recommended by Sally Hicks
