An Archive of Happiness

An Archive of Happiness is set in the Scottish Highlands over the course of one day during the Avens family’s annual get-together.

It’s the summer solstice and theirs is a fractured family, broken by arguments, by things said and not said, by a mother who has left and a father who was left behind.

What happens on this day will force them to cleave together to survive and redraw the traditional bonds of family.

* Longlisted for the 2020 Highland Book Prize*

This is such a big-hearted, intricate and compelling novel: it is as robust and delicate as the landscapes it inhabits. Reeder tells a story of loss, fracture and repair, every sentence infused with both clear-sightedness and love.

-Jenn Ashworth

An Archive of Happiness is a poignant, multi-layered exploration of family relationships brilliantly revealed. A haunting story told in exquisite prose.

• Ruth Hogan