“Rafael Yglesias tells the story of Enrique and Margaret Sabas, who is dying from cancer. The novel unfolds as we see her planning her goodbyes and death interspersed with the story of their courtship and long marriage. The novel captures the maturing of feelings, the issues around sex, and the frustrations of parenthood in such a way that I was riveted, entranced, and moved to -- and sometimes beyond -- tears. Absolutely brilliant.”

“A Happy Marriage is deeply honest, intricately observed, and moving beyond words. In alternating the chapters between Enrique and Margaret's courtship and eventual marriage and the final days of Margaret's life, Yglesias shows the complexity of the relationship and the totality of what is lost with Margaret's fatal illness. Enrique's fears, foibles, and insecurities at the outset of their courtship are brilliantly set against the character he is forced to muster as he helps his wife die with dignity, on her own terms, and in her own home. This is a novel in which every emotion, character, and situation rings true.”