Book Summary and Reviews of Like Happiness by Ursula Villarreal-Moura

Book Summary

A searing debut about the complexities of gender, power, and fame, told through the story of a young woman's destructive relationship with a legendary writer.

It's 2015, and Tatum Vega feels that her life is finally falling into place. Living in sunny Chile with her partner, Vera, she spends her days surrounded by art at the museum where she works. More than anything else, she loves this new life for helping her forget the decade she spent in New York City orbiting the brilliant and famous author M. Domínguez.

When a reporter calls from the US asking for an interview, the careful separation Tatum has constructed between her past and present begins to crumble. Domínguez has been accused of assault, and the reporter is looking for corroboration.

As Tatum is forced to reexamine the all-consuming but undefinable relationship that dominated so much of her early adulthood, long-buried questions surface. What did happen between them? And why is she still struggling with the mark the relationship left on her life?

Told in a dual narrative alternating between her present day and a letter from Tatum to Domínguez, recounting and reclaiming the totality of their relationship, Like Happiness explores the nuances of a complicated and imbalanced relationship, catalyzing a reckoning with gender, celebrity, memory, Latinx identity, and power dynamics.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. Like Happiness alternates between the present day and flashbacks told through Tatum's letter. How did this structure contribute to your reading experience?
2. Discuss Tatum's growth as a person. What character flaws did you pick up on as you read about her life when she was young? How has she changed by the time she is writing her letter to Mateo?
3. Power and fame are major themes in the book. Did the novel change the way you think about the allure of fame and power dynamics between fans and their idols? Have you experienced or witnessed similar unbalanced friendships or relationships in your own life?
4. Tatum describes how she loved the books she grew up with but never fully identified with any stories until Mateo's book, ...