Secrets of Happiness by award-winning writer Joan Silber is denominated a novel but, in effect, consists of seven short stories (six of which previously appeared in literary magazines) linked by shared characters (a minor character in one story becomes the protagonist in another story, which may also include characters from the other stories) with the first and last story told from the viewpoint of the same character, Ethan, a gay lawyer. Many of the characters have ties to Thailand, for reasons that become apparent as the various subplots unfold. There’s a lot of interiority in the stories, presented in a way that allows the reader to see things about the characters that the character don’t see. It’s also interesting when the same characters are, in different stories, seen differently by other characters according to the roles they play in the particulars of their own story. The writing is excellent. Here’s what Kirkus Reviews says:
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/joan-silber/secrets-of-happiness/
