Happier Here With You: A Novel

A widowed mother finds the recipe for happiness when she visits a long-lost relative in a heart-lifting novel about family, food, and second chances.

Widowed and overworked, museum curator and food historian Maggie Brodbeck struggles to spend quality time with her five-year-old daughter, Hannah. Fueled by on-the-go meals, she doesn’t even have time to breathe, let alone pursue personal happiness. Then, out of the blue, Maggie receives an invitation from her estranged great-aunt Alice to visit her Wisconsin farm. The time has come, Magpie.

Desperate for a break, for herself and for Hannah, Maggie finds Rosehill Farm to be a revelation. In the enigmatic Alice, Maggie finds a kindred spirit. Whether baking together or just looking at the stars, they share a natural rhythm. The calming pace of country living is made even sweeter when Maggie meets the charismatic Brady, a local pastry chef.

Then Maggie opens her aunt’s treasured box of generations-old recipes and discovers the surprising threads of her heroic family history. The recipes not only shed light on the past, but reconnect Maggie to her love of cooking and to a life of contentment close to her heart—and back to herself.

Amy Gail Hansen is the author of HAPPIER HERE WITH YOU and THE BUTTERFLY SISTER. A former English teacher and journalist, Amy is also a professional food-history lecturer on topics ranging from Midwest sweets to New Orleans cuisine. She is an avid cook, baker, and reader, and never ceases to be amazed by the story of food and the remarkable ways it shapes our lives. She lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband and three children.

“Happier Here With You is a warm, hygge-shaped hug for the burned-out reader who wishes life would just slow down…As Maggie learns more about her family’s history at the farm, stretching back to World War II and the Women’s Land Army, she will find out what she truly wants for herself and her future. Amy Gail Hansen will make you crave a slower-paced life, a farmhouse kitchen, and homemade scones, in that order!” —Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Briar Club

“Happier Here With You has all the ingredients of a novel you can escape into. Hansen combines the perfect blend of mouthwatering foodie fiction with a generous helping of historical fiction and a dash of romance. Touching and heartfelt, this story speaks of loss, tempered by the restorative powers of love and family bonds. It was a delight from start to finish!” —Renée Rosen, USA Today bestselling author of Let’s Call Her Barbie

“Happier Here With You is the kind of book you want to settle down with and just bask in its warmth! Amy Gail Hansen has created a main character, Maggie Brodbeck, whose journey to find herself after being widowed reconnects her with a great-aunt she never knew, as well as her family’s long-buried history in a small town in Wisconsin. Best of all, Maggie rediscovers the pleasures of cooking and the joy of food, as she works to save her great-aunt’s legacy. I adored this deeply satisfying story.” —Maddie Dawson, bestselling author of Matchmaking for Beginners

“Heartfelt and immersive, Happier Here With You by Amy Gail Hansen is the kind of book that feels like eating a warm chocolate chip cookie. Hansen has woven a beautiful tale of found family, community, romance, and the healing power of food. I savored every page!” —Laura Barrow, author of Call the Canaries Home and The Marriage Slip

“With warmth, charm, and a perfect hint of nostalgia, this novel pulls you in from the first page and delivers a deeply satisfying story about love rediscovered in unexpected places. Treat yourself to this delicious read!” —Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke, authors of The Naysayers

“What a scrumptious treat of a story! Delightful, delicious, and heartwarming, get ready to curl up and savor every page!” —Rachel Linden, author of The Secret of Orange Blossom Cake

“Escape to Wisconsin in this sweet tale of overcoming loss and finding sustenance, love, and home.” —Ellen Baker, author of Summerland Cove