The Happiest Girl in the World - by Alena Dillon (Paperback)

About the Book

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"--Back cover.

Book Synopsis

"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.

Review Quotes

"For fans of Ann Patchett's The Patron Saint of Liars or Maile Meloy's Liars and Saints, Mercy House is a must-read." - San Francisco Book Review
"A brilliant and often heartbreaking account of a young girl striving to live a complicated dream, The Happiest Girl In The World probes the tragedy of the at-all-costs mentality that fuels Olympic performances." - Blythe Lawrence, co-author of Aly Raisman's Fierce: How Competing For Myself Changed Everything
"[A] stirring, fiery debut...Dillon balances her protagonist's righteous anger with an earnest exploration of Evie's faith and devotion to justice and community service. This uncompromising story will light up book clubs." - Publishers Weekly
"Never underestimate the power of a group of women. Fierce, thoughtful, and dramatic--this is a story of true courage." - Susan Wiggs, New York Times bestselling author
"A life-altering debut featuring fierce, funny, and irreverent women who battle the most powerful institution in the world. This is the book we've all been waiting for."
- Amy Schumer
"In Mercy House, Alena Dillon gives us one of fiction's more unlikely lovable heroines: elderly, dynamic Sister Evelyn, whose tale--and that of her housemates--is as unexpected as it is moving. This is a thoughtful, accomplished debut." - Therese Ann Fowler, New York Times bestselling author of Z, A Well-Behaved Woman, and A Good Neighborhood
"The Happiest Girl in the World is a tender reflection on the importance of second chances, the ways in which both courage and cowardice can break a person, and what it takes to make yourself whole again." - Meghan MacLean Weir, author of The Book of Essie
"Whether readers can name every Olympian gymnast from the past 40 years or can't tell a Yurchenko from a Mustafina, Dillon's latest novel will enthrall. A natural next read for fans of Hannah Orenstein's Head over Heels (2020) or the Netflix documentary Athlete A." - Booklist (starred review)
"As she did with the Catholic Church in Mercy House, Dillon lays bare the sins of the U.S. gymnastic world and all those who enable this sport... Dillon sticks the landing with this layered book about abuse, drive, family expectations, and trauma." - Library Journal (starred review)
"Dillon (Mercy House) explores the dark side of elite gymnastics in her engrossing ripped-from-the-headlines latest... Dillon's nuanced treatment makes for a stirring and complicated picture... Dillon's excellent psychological drama will stay with readers." - Publishers Weekly
"Happiest Girl in the World is a searing look at elite gymnastics and the lengths an athlete will go to reach her goal. Dillon writes a harrowing story about how hope can be saddled with burdens, and sacrifice can wear down the soul. Timely and spirited, I devoured this book." - Elissa R. Sloan, author of The Unraveling of Cassidy Holmes
"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