Michele is the beloved only son of a large, dysfunctional family in 1970s Rome. Headstrong and independent, he has disappeared to England to escape the dangers of his radical political ties. Back in Italy, his father lies dying.

Michele’s departure sets forth a series of events that will bring together everyone in his life – his mother Adriana, living in the countryside with her twin daughters, his long-suffering sister Angelica, his loyal and sad friend Osvaldo, and Mara, a young woman who is prone to showing up on doorsteps with a baby that may or may not be Michele’s.

The story of the Prodigal Son turned on its head, Happiness, As Such is an immensely wise and absurdly funny novel-in-letters about complicated families and missed connections.