“I love these dark, lyrical, sinewy stories about women’s relationships with their bodies and with each other. It’s the sort of theme that could feel irritably well-trod, but that’s not the case here at all; these stories surprised me at every turn. And the writing is so gorgeous!”—Carmen Maria Machado, judge, 2019 John Simmons Short Fiction Award
— Carmen Maria Machado
“Equal parts graceful and astonishing, the stories in Happy Like This do the brave work of building upon established traditions to create worlds and languages all their own. The result is a sweeping, insightful and compassionate portrait not only of women’s lives, losses and loves, but of their anger, its power and the fierce sisterhood forged between those who express it. I ended this book knowing that every story had embedded itself in my body like language; Wurzbacher’s writing has become part of me, and I am forever grateful for it.”—Allie Rowbottom, author, JELL-O Girls
— Allie Rowbottom
“Rumor has it that Alice Munro in responding to the question ‘Do you consider yourself a feminist?’, replied thusly: ‘If you mean do I take the lives of women seriously, yes.’ Ashley Wurzbacher’s wonderful collection of stories made me think of that writer, and that answer, repeatedly. I love this book.”—Antonya Nelson, author, Funny Once
— Antonya Nelson
“I fell in love with these stories from page one. Happy Like This is a funny, touching catalog of women’s generosity toward each other and themselves, of the secrets we need to keep and the paths we must take in order to live more fully. A powerhouse of a collection.”—Danielle Lazarin, author, Back Talk
— Danielle Lazarin
"What a gorgeous, varied, brilliant and accomplished collection of stories! Characters who navigate our crazy world and its complexities—social, political, sexual, financial—with humility and grace and always an urge to know more, to feel more, understand better; characters whose life experiences present the reader with a range perspectives you might expect any debut author in her right mind to shy away from—behavioral science, body-building, ballet, speech pathology, plant physiology, and so much more. Most impressive of all: on every page, moments of truth and beauty so perfectly, easily and indelibly rendered in lines to make you catch your breath and wish to read them over and over. This is an astonishing debut collection. I am so very, very happy that Happy Like This exists. A must read!!"—Gregory Spatz, author, Inukshuk
— Gregory Spatz
"Wurzbacher deploys her encyclopedic command of various ideas, regions, professions and lexicons with the authority of seasoned masters like Adam Johnson. This is a writer at the top of her game; but hopefully she’s only just getting started."
— New York Times
National Book Foundation '5 Under 35' Honoree
— National Book Foundation
“Wurzbacher dives into the lives of women in this brilliant collection, examining the ways they live and relate to each other while harboring their own secrets and feelings. Her lyrical prose and unflinchingly confrontational voice are powerful and captivating.”—Booklist, starred review
— Booklist
