Every Happiness

by Reena Shah

Every Happiness is a dazzling debut that explores the ties that bind two women across decades and continents despite rivalry, class difference, and the conflicting needs of family and self.

Deepa and Ruchi are 12 years old when they meet at their Catholic school in India, but their connection is swift and lasting. As the two girls grow up and face their families' expectations and the limits of their ambitions, their friendship is marked by intimacy, jealousy, and suppressed desire.

When, in their twenties, Deepa marries a doctor and moves from India to the suburbs of Connecticut, Ruchi quickly finds an engineer bound for the same state and follows her friend across the world. But life in the United States is different than either woman expects. Deepa's daughter seeks affection Deepa refuses to give, and Ruchi's son resists her smothering care. At the same time, Deepa and Ruchi find their closeness tested by a growing class disparity, competing family needs, and the differences in their desires. Ultimately, when Ruchi discovers a dangerous secret about Deepa's husband's wealth, both women are forced to weigh the tangled bonds of their friendship with their lives, and their families', in the burgeoning Indian American community.

“Moving and unforgettable” (Kimberly King Parsons), Every Happiness explores the slippery edges of a lifelong relationship, and the invisible threads that bind us, sometimes painfully, to those we love most.

Genres: Fiction

320 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication February 3, 2026

Reviews

[Ashley Schober · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book kind of unbearable to get through. Every single character was miserable and honestly not very likeable. I didn’t find myself rooting for anyone. The writing was solid, I just did not care about any character in this book :/

[TBS · Rating 4 out of 5]

An absorbing narrative about an unlikely friendship between Deepa and Ruchi, 12 year old girls at a Catholic school in India that spans decades, families, continents, social standing, spouses, scandals, and children. At its core, within the deftly delineated settings, is the question of how well we can ever know another person, even one with which we have experienced rites of passage, public and private. Does someone that shares our late childhood also share a part of ourselves? Shah writes with ease and deep understanding about the dialog and desires of her characters, the small hurts, triumphs, resentments and erratic love they have for each other.
Recommended

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the writing in this novel is solid, I wish the characters would have been more likable, especially Deepa. I cared about Ruchi and her fate, but it was hard to care about the other characters when they were so selfish and judgemental. I understand that Deepa was bitter because she couldn't live as she wanted, but it was hard to see how she took her resentment out on others, especially on Ruchi, whom she loved and desired, but kept pushing away out of shame. I found this book sadly realistic, and just too depressing.

[Taylor Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

i saw someone else review this by saying that it was “very bleak but very realistic” and I think that’s the perfect way to sum up this book. every character had real flaws and the life they lived as first generation immigrant families navigating identity, culture and success was very honest. however, everything was depicted pretty negatively overall, making it less enjoyable to read to be completely honest

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m feeling generous with a two. I appreciate that Indian culture led these characters to do certain things, but I felt like it was a competition on who could be the most shallow and deplorable of the characters and they were in a dead heat throughout the book.

[Laurie Burns · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book very bleak and also I think realistic.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars