Happiness Falls

Compare the novel’s settings—the Parkson home, police headquarters, and the park. What do these different locations represent? How do they affect the characters who inhabit them?

Consider gender dynamics in the novel. Do Mia’s parents subvert stereotypical cis-heteronormative gender roles? Why or why not?

Contrasting her history books with her grandmother’s memories of the Korean War, Mia wonders how the pandemic will be remembered. How does the novel treat the difference between private experience and public history?

John and Mia are opposites in many ways, and function as foils. However, they also have an uncanny connection. What effect does their complex bond have on the novel’s theme of family cohesion?

Eugene’s character development is delayed until his family learns that he can communicate. Does this sideline Eugene or make him into a tool for others to grow? Why or why not?

Discuss music and tonality in the novel. Why is the language-focused Mia also fascinated by the communication potential of music? How does this develop the novel’s commentary on meaningful modes of communication?

How does Eugene’s literal and figurative imprisonment (his potential detention and the idea that he has been trapped by being unable to communicate) affect the novel’s tone and themes?

What tropes from mystery or detective fiction does Angie Kim use in the novel? Which are subverted, and which are applied without transformation? What is their effect on the reader?