Wake Up Happy Every Day : A Novel

For decades, Nicky and Russell have kept up the friendship they began in childhood, and for decades, Russell's annual birthday celebration has reminded Nicky of how much more successful Russell is, how astronomically rich he is, and how much further he has come since their suburban childhood. But on his fiftieth birthday, Russell drops dead in his San Francisco mansion, with Nicky as the only witness.

And now Nicky has come up with an uncharacteristically daring plan. If he were to become Russell and leave his old life lying dead on the bathroom floor, then he, his wife, Sarah, and their daughter, Scarlett, could start again. Only with better clothes, better hair, better stuff, and a better future: everything that money can buy. Especially happiness.

But when the foundations of their glittering new existence start to crack, the impact of Nicky's hasty decision is felt by all those around him: by his daughter; by his own distant, confused father; by a young English woman who has come to America in search of her father; and by the mysterious Catherine, an ex-soldier who seems to take an unhealthy interest in Nicky's activities.

Sharp, funny, warm, and acutely observed, Wake Up Happy Every Day is a novel about dreams and delusions, family and friendship, and what happens if you actually find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

“The sense of jeopardy leaps from the page, and so does the writing. Hooked.” —Elle Magazine

“He riffs entertainingly on failure. Talk of misspent youth, assassins and obstreperous protagonists belies the emotional core which makes May's books moving.” —Independent on Sunday

“Expect pithy observations on everything from ‘endearment inflation' to the three most important words in any long-term relationship: ‘It doesn't matter.'” —Daily Mail

“A morality tale that explores the difference between material and real happiness . . . There are some great comic set pieces and fine writing from May, whose quips demonstrate a knack for the ridiculous.” —Guardian

“Acerbic and funny.” —New York Times

“Hilarious . . . A charmingly ill-fated adventure [told] with wit and sharp observation . . . A compelling holiday read for anyone who has ever believed that the grass might actually be greener.” —Press Association

“Hilarious . . . May writes so wittily, so charmingly, that his characters and twists feel irresistible, shiny, and new.” —Good Housekeeping

“A funny book . . . a breezy but barbed meditation on the old chestnut that money can't buy happiness, a satirical morality tale that broadens into a colorful caper.” —Maggie Shipstead, The San Francisco Chronicle

“Stephen May's second novel is likely the funniest that will ever start with the words ‘Mum's funeral' . . . The book has some of Martin Amis's pith . . . irreverent and charming.” —The New York Times on Life! Death! Prizes!

“Sharp truths about the illusions and hypocrisies of modern life.” —The Boston Globe on Life! Death! Prizes!

“A graphically up-to-date coming-of-age tale . . . Provocative! Bittersweet! Promising!” —Kirkus Reviews on Life! Death! Prizes!

“May's astonishing 2008 debut novel, Tag, distinguished him as a gifted portrayer of modern British life. In this follow-up, May's skills are just as dazzling.” —Library Journal on Life! Death! Prizes!