Book Review: Happy and You Know It | Laura Hankin

Rich people behaving badly, a young musician pulled into their world, and plenty of drama (and heart warming moments!) to go around! I would characterize Happy and You Know It as a dark, witty drama and it delivered above my expectations.

About the Book (from Goodreads)

A dark, witty page-turner set around a group of wealthy mothers and the young musician who takes a job singing to their babies and finds herself pulled into their glamorous lives and dangerous secrets….

After her former band shot to superstardom without her, Claire reluctantly agrees to a gig as a playgroup musician for overprivileged infants on New York’s Park Avenue. Claire is surprised to discover that she is smitten with her new employers, a welcoming clique of wellness addicts with impossibly shiny hair, who whirl from juice cleanse to overpriced miracle vitamins to spin class with limitless energy.

There is perfect hostess Whitney who is on the brink of social-media stardom and just needs to find a way to keep her perfect life from falling apart. Caustically funny, recent stay-at-home mom Amara who is struggling to embrace her new identity. And old money, veteran mom Gwen who never misses an opportunity to dole out parenting advice. But as Claire grows closer to the cool women who pay her bills, she uncovers secrets and betrayals that no amount of activated charcoal can fix.

Filled with humor and shocking twists, Happy and You Know It is a brilliant take on motherhood—exposing it as yet another way for society to pass judgment on women—while also exploring the baffling magnetism of curated social-media lives that are designed to make us feel unworthy. But, ultimately, this dazzling novel celebrates the unlikely bonds that form, and the power that can be unlocked, when a group of very different women is thrown together when each is at her most vulnerable.

Initial Thoughts

The Upper East Side moms provide top entertainment and salacious gossip with a great thru-story in this surprising and delightful popcorn drama set in the wealthy elite of New York City. I accepted this title on a whim without a ton of context and I’m so glad I finally read it. The surface of this book is totally soapy in a good way, but the messages and themes of the book are what really shine and make it an all timer.

Characters

Claire Martin is a musician who was recently replaced in her band and is looking for paid work, which she finds singing private song showcases for a group of babies and toddlers of wealthy upper eastside moms. Whitney is the creator of the mommy club and has made the club (and herself) famous by posting about mom life on social media. Amara is a snarky mother who gave up a successful career in media to be a fulltime mom, and feels unfulfilled. Veteran mom Gwen is there to dole out advice as someone more experienced in parenting. Vicky is the peace-loving hippie mom. And Meredith and Ellie are nearly interchangeable and round out the group.

Narrative, Setting, and Plot

Claire Martin is reeling after her band (and ex-boyfriend) dump her for a sexier model and then go on to make it big with their latest song while she is left unsure of what to do next. In need of money to get by, Claire takes a gig for a mommy group on the upper east side singing for their children. While she may be there for entertainment, she soon realizes it is more for the mothers than the children.

The moms are obsessed with juice cleanses, perfecting motherhood (particularly on social media for hostess and influencer Whitney), and a new vitamin craze for moms that is sure to help them become their healthiest, best selves. Though Claire initially rolls her eyes at them, over time she realizes she actually likes these women, not in spite of their flaws but because of them. The moms are fun and she admires how much they do seemingly without effort.

As Claire grows closer to influencer and head mommy Whitney and sarcastic Amara who used to work in late night tv, she starts to realize they aren’t as put together and flawless as they seem to outsiders. Soon she begins to learn some of their secrets that would destroy not only the moms, but the entire playgroup. Things that could shatter their perfect existence.

Final Thoughts

I don’t have kids myself so I definitely related to Claire a bit more, though I’ve thankfully grown past my lost early twenties phase of life. The moms themselves were fascinating. I love books about the wealthy, out-of-touch upper eastside moms, and this book had a taste of that but ultimately I really liked that Hankin made the mothers so real. These were whole people, from the perfect exterior to the flaws underneath. I liked Whitney a lot more than I thought I would. I actually felt for her—I got how she was in the spot she was in and desperately trying to hang on to the life she worked so hard to craft.

The central story that comes up was fascinating and felt very true-to-life for me. It isn’t teased in the about the book portion so I consider what it revolves around a spoiler and I’ll keep it out of this review. But ultimately there was so much more to this book than rich moms behaving badly and the poor broke musician that they pulled into their outer circle. The story had depth, weight, and still managed to be filled with humor and light. Claire’s story of her band, the break up, their success without her, and how she found herself brought the book home.

A surprisingly light, humorous read with some real depth—Laura Hankin’s Happy and You Know It was a surprise and a delight!