A deeply moving story of human resilience through love and laughter amid extreme adversity, poverty, and loss

Dilshad, or Happy, is orphaned in childhood in early-twentieth-century Muscat, Oman, and grows up with few choices in life. After his daughter Maryam is born, he faces a heartbreaking decision. We follow them both on their very different paths through love, loss, success, and tragedy. Despite oppressive societal rules based on status and bloodlines, the bravehearted women at the center of Daughter of Happy create chosen families and show us that love and community ultimately triumph over all else.

Bushra Khalfan's vibrant and gritty novel, short-listed for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction in 2022 and awarded the 2022 Katara Prize, is narrated by many voices from all walks of life. Women's perspectives shine through, telling stories closely intertwined with the events of wider history, including World War II and the partition of India and Pakistan. Long before the discovery of oil brought modernity and wealth to Oman, Khalfan's diverse and multilingual Muscat is intimately connected to the Indian Subcontinent and Africa.

Daughter of Happy is a story about how love and laughter can be used to survive extreme adversity and powerlessness, and to overturn social systems.