The Happiest Girl in the World: A Novel

Summary

“Propulsive,
transfixing, and disturbing. I could not set the book down. Harrowing and
fearlessly honest, The Happiest Girl in the World is a haunting read
because it couldn't have done justice to its subjects – fictional and real –
any other way.” —Popsugar

One of Good Morning America's Best Books of April!

From the acclaimed author of Mercy House comes a gripping
new novel about a young woman’s dreams of Olympic gymnastic gold—and what it
takes to reach the top

For Sera Wheeler, the Olympics is the reason for everything. It’s
why she trains thirty hours a week, starves herself to under 100 pounds, and
pops Advil like Tic Tacs.

For her mother, Charlene,  hungry
for glory she never had, it’s why she rises before dawn to drive Sera to
practice in a different state, and why the family scrimps, saves, and
fractures. It’s why, when Sera’s best friend reports the gymnastics doctor to
the authority who selects the Olympic Team, Sera denies what she knows about
his treatments, thus preserving favor.

Their friendship shatters. But Sera protected her dream—didn’t
she?

Sera doubles down, taping broken toes, numbing torn muscles, and pouring
her family’s resources into the sport. Soon she isn’t training for the love of
gymnastics. She’s training to make her disloyalty worthwhile. No matter the
cost.

The Happiest Girl in the World explores the dark
history behind an athlete who stands on the world stage, biting gold. It's
about the silence required of the exceptional, a tarnished friendship, and the
sacrifices a parent will make for a child, even as a family is torn apart. It’s
about the price of greatness.