Happenstance

by Thomas Chamberlain

158 pages, Paperback

Published November 30, 2025

Reviews

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Darby Saunders has been planning her escape for a long time. She’s thought about every detail, mentally rehearsing her actions every step of the way. She’s decided on a date. She’s even made a list of the things she must do, in the order they have to be done, before she can finally bring the nightmare she’s been living to an end. Thomas Chamberlain’s novel charting Darby’s path to freedom is short, but it is not an easy read. Happenstance is the story of a girl in her mid-teens who, for as long as she can remember, has had little to no control over her life. Her father stole that control away the moment he started sexually abusing her. This has been going on for years. So long, in fact, that Darby can hardly remember a time when it wasn’t happening. But now she’s determined to reclaim that control, in the only way she knows how, by escaping once and for all. Darby narrates her own story, explaining how her plan came together over a couple of years, one plan superseding another when she spotted the previous plan’s flaws. But her resolve never wavered, even as the abuse continued, until now, on a cold, stormy weekend in February, she’s ready to set her latest plan into motion. But things happen. A neighbour’s kindness, her friend Sara’s caring nature, the weather, even the neighbour’s dog, force Darby to make adjustments as circumstances change. It would be unfair to give away more of the plot of this disturbing, suspenseful, courageous novel. Chamberlain tells Darby’s story with admirable concision and inestimable restraint. Darby reports events in an emotionally detached, conversational voice that effectively heightens tensions, making the book something of a page-turner. The novel’s psychology is persuasive and heartbreaking. Her father’s years-long campaign of manipulation has been so successful that Darby often behaves like a collaborator, a willing participant, covering his tracks, making excuses, all while hiding a burden of shame she carries with her every day of her life. Happenstance is Thomas Chamberlain’s debut fiction, but it reads like the work of a seasoned novelist. It is a book that goes where readers and writers alike are reluctant to go, and because of that is sure to provoke discussion of a subject that too often remains in the shadows.

[Wanamaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished this novel. I found it very moving and shed some tears. It seems to me Tom Chamberlain has done the seemingly impossible - he somehow found the right words to tell a story about a super sensitive subject. I can see why it took so long to write. He deserves all the accolades he must be receiving right now!

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Impressive debut novel about a disturbing subject which lives in the shadows. Tom’s writing was propulsive as was his main character, Darby. I enjoyed the sense of place Tom was able to convey and could visualize many of the settings. The snowshoeing scene was especially beautiful. Kudos!

[Brenda Kearney Gogan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A young girl who is being sexually abused by her father. Well written-quick read

[James Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tough subject, a cover to cover read in one sitting.