Things that Cause Inappropriate Happiness

Danila Botha’s third collection of short stories, THINGS THAT CAUSE INAPPROPRIATE HAPPINESS, is a beautifully written, deeply rendered series of portraits of people struggling to define themselves in harsh circumstances. Dealing with often generational trauma, especially around Holocaust survival, the stories relentlessly strip away facades. From the bullied teenage girl to the woman who self-harms to get attention from her husband, the pain is deep. The stories often enter the realm of the fantastic, yet the stories never trade deeply felt experience for something easier and more escapist. The short stories of THINGS THAT CAUSE INAPPROPRIATE HAPPINESS will remain with the reader long after the book is finished, and in each re-read, there are new discoveries and revelations.