‘I wanted to pass it on to all my friends’ SHEILA HETI

'Remarkable clarity and humour' VOGUE

‘Disarmingly sweet’ NICOLA DINAN

'Funny and tender' PANDORA SYKES

'Had me hopelessly charmed' AMY KEY

‘A fever dream' SHARLENE TEO

'Impossible to put down’ LISA OWENS

A most anticipated book of 2025 in Vogue, Our Culture, The Bookseller and Publishers Weekly

A hilarious and utterly original debut novel following a woman trying to make sense of her life and herself as she falls in love with her therapist.

Sylvie is only happy when she is at therapy. This is because Sylvie is in love with her therapist. She wants to kiss her and roll around on the floor with her. She thinks about her every second they’re not together (roughly 167 hours and 10 minutes per week). She’s aware she has an obsession, but whether it is – as her therapist suggests – a case of extreme ‘erotic transference’, or a lost person’s need to connect, Sylvie isn’t sure.

Beyond therapy, Sylvie has what she considers to be a small life: a job as a veterinary nurse, her little brain-damaged dog, Curtains, and a new friend Chloe who she met on the beach. When the therapist delivers some devastating news, Sylvie has to imagine new and lasting ways of coping (that don’t include being adopted by the therapist). Her world has begun to open up, inching beyond the fear that has confined her until now, and she must decide whether she’s ready for a bravery of feeling.

In this stunning debut novel, Adelaide Faith encapsulates the great vulnerability, difficulty and joy of being alive.

'There is so much rare humour and insight and sweetness and humanity … and a true and ringing voice' Sheila Heti, author of Pure Colour

'Witty and irreverent … Readers will fall in love' Publishers Weekly

'A jaw-dropping, exhilarating, completely original high-wire act' Jessica Stanley, author of Consider Yourself Kissed

'With tenderness and never force, Happiness Forever reminds us that the most meaningful choices can be the small, everyday things that simply string a life together' Pandora Sykes, author of How Do We Know We're Doing It Right?

‘For fans of Convenience Store Woman and Pond’ Sharlene Teo, author of Ponti

‘Surprising and funny … poignant and philosophical … a book I won't soon forget’ Chelsea Hodson, author of Tonight I'm Someone Else

Readers love Happiness Forever ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐:

'Utterly beguiling … a truly memorable read'

'Quite honestly couldn’t put it down'

'An utter joy to read! I loved it from start to finish. For fans of Big Swiss!'

'A beautifully crafted debut, filled with heart, wit and a deep understanding of what it means to be human'

'Humorous, bizarre and touching … A very strong debut!'

'So charged and insightful and provocative … I recommend it highly'

Details

ISBN13: 9780008749026
Format: Paperback / softback
Number of Pages: 272
Edition:
Publication Date: 04 Jun 2025
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Publication City, Country: London, United Kingdom
Dimensions (cm): 21.6(H)x13.5(L)x2.4(W)270
Weight (gm): 270

Author Biography

Adelaide Faith worked as an editor in the Schools department of Channel 4 Television before training to be a Veterinary Nurse at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home. Her short fiction has appeared online in Forever Magazine, Hobart, Vol. 1 Brooklyn, Maudlin House, Farewell Transmission and ExPat Press. She lives in Hastings, UK with her daughter and dogs.

Reviews

Praise for Happiness Forever:

‘A spare, associative novel of projection and self-acceptance’ New Yorker

'This accomplished debut tackles complex topics – obsession, grief, and abuse among them – with remarkable clarity and humour'Vogue 'Best Books of the Year So Far'

‘Faith immerses us hypnotically in Sylvie’s consciousness … a tragicomic portrait of a mind in the process of healing: No small feat’ The Cut

‘A book full of wisdom about desire and how difficult but life-changing vulnerability can be. Clever and funny’ Daily Mail

‘I was mesmerized by Happiness Forever, and helplessly caught in its spell from the first page … I wanted to pass it on to all my friends’ Sheila Heti, author of Pure Colour

'My favourite kind of novel. As vulnerable as it is funny. As endearing as it is entrancing … I love Sylvie and Curtains!' Emma Gannon, author of Olive

‘Had me hopelessly charmed from its opening sentence … this novel is abundant with the complexities of being a person … I loved it!’ Amy Key, author of Arrangements in Blue

'Funny and tender and adorable … really, it’s about yearning for actuality. (My favourite kind of book.)' Pandora Sykes, author of How Do We Know We're Doing It Right?

‘Faith examines that eternal gap between who we are and what we most wish for with lucidity and tender precision’ Elle Nash, author of Deliver Me

‘A fever dream of a novel … or fans of Convenience Store Woman and Pond’ Sharlene Teo, author of Ponti

‘Surprising and funny … poignant and philosophical … a book I won't soon forget’ Chelsea Hodson, author of Tonight I'm Someone Else

'A jaw-dropping, exhilarating, completely original high-wire act' Jessica Stanley, author of Consider Yourself Kissed

‘Extremely charming, unique, impossible to put down’ Lisa Owens, author of Not Working

'Fans of … Gail Honeyman’s Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine will enjoy this … novel of one woman’s journey to find happiness without asking for permission' Booklist

‘Quietly profound’ Bookseller