A deeply moving story of human resilience through love and laughter amid extreme adversity, poverty, and loss
Dilshad, or Happy, is orphaned in childhood in early-twentieth-century Muscat, Oman, and grows up with few choices in life. After his daughter Maryam is born, he faces a heartbreaking decision. We follow them both on their very different paths through love, loss, success, and tragedy. Despite oppressive societal rules based on status and bloodlines, the bravehearted women at the center of Daughter of Happy create chosen families and show us that love and community ultimately triumph over all else.
Bushra Khalfan's vibrant and gritty novel, short-listed for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction in 2022 and awarded the 2022 Katara Prize, is narrated by many voices from all walks of life. Women's perspectives shine through, telling stories closely intertwined with the events of wider history, including World War II and the partition of India and Pakistan. Long before the discovery of oil brought modernity and wealth to Oman, Khalfan's diverse and multilingual Muscat is intimately connected to the Indian Subcontinent and Africa.
Daughter of Happy is a story about how love and laughter can be used to survive extreme adversity and powerlessness, and to overturn social systems.
Reviews
"A delightful novel and a true pleasure to read. Daughter of Happy is brimming with vibrant characters and dramatic twists, all unfolding in an enchanting setting."—Jonathan Smolin, translator of A Nose and Three Eyes by Ihsan Abdel Kouddous and professor of Middle Eastern Studies at Dartmouth College
About the Author
Bushra Khalfan is a best-selling Omani short story writer, novelist, poet, and journalist. Daughter of Happy won the Katara Prize (2022) and was shortlisted for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction (2022).
Alice Guthrie is an independent British scholar of contemporary SWANA verbal culture. Her work spans literary translation, oral history, editing, curation, research, teaching, literary agenting, and advocacy.
