A Matter of Happiness: A Novel

Written by Tori Whitaker

Narrated by Kimberley Wong and Megan Tusing

A cherished heirloom opens up a century of secrets in a bittersweet novel about family, hard truths, and self-discovery by the author of Millicent Glenn’s Last Wish.

Melanie Barnett thinks she has it all together. With an ex-fiancé and a pending promotion at a Kentucky bourbon distillery, Melanie has figured out that love and career don’t mix. Until she makes a discovery while cleaning her Jordan MX car, a scarlet-red symbol of the Jazz Age’s independent women that she inherited from her great-great-great-aunt Violet. Its secret compartment holds Violet’s weathered journal—within it an intriguing message: Take from this story what you will, Melanie, and you can bury the rest. Melanie wonders what more there is to learn from Violet’s past.

In 1921 Violet Bond defers to no one. Hers is a life of adventure in Detroit, the hub of the motorcar boom and the fastest growing city in America. But in an era of speakeasies, financial windfalls, free-spirited friends, and unexpected romance, it’s easy to spin out of control.

Now, as Melanie’s own world takes unexpected turns, her life and Violet’s life intersect. Generations apart, they’re coming into their own and questioning what modern womanhood—and happiness—really means.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: Nov 8, 2022
• ISBN: 9781799790372

Tori Whitaker

Tori Whitaker grew up in the Midwest. She now resides outside of Atlanta, Georgia, where she and her husband of more than forty years live near their two sons and their families. Tori belongs to the Historical Novel Society, and her feature article, “Multi-Period Novels: The Keys to Weaving Together Two Stories from Different Time Periods,” appeared in the Historical Novels Review. Tori graduated from Indiana University and is chief marketing officer for a national law firm. She is also an alum of the Yale Writers’ Workshop. Millicent Glenn’s Last Wish is her first novel.

Reviews for A Matter of Happiness

[bookscookslooks · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Imagine inheriting a car from a beloved relative and finding out that she left you much more than a vehicle.Melanie mourns the loss of her beloved aunt but as she goes through the Jordan MX she has been bequeathed she finds her Aunt’s journal which turns out to be a far greater gift than the car. In it she reads the ups and downs of Violet’s life and the struggles that she had when women were considered useful for two things – housewifery and producing children.But Violet chose to fight convention much as Melanie does and the parallels between their lives offers some clues to Melanie as to what may lie ahead should she choose to continue her path.This was a wonderful read about two strong women in male dominated worlds. As many of us can attest the times changed but only so far and they still need to change more. It was a book I had a hard time putting down and I really loved both these characters. I did find Violet’s story slightly more compelling but only slightly.I received a free copy for my honest review

[susan0316 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This beautifully written novel looks at women and how they are viewed by the world and how they view themselves. It's told in two timelines in the 1920s and modern day. A lot of the time I enjoy one time period more than the other in dual time line stories. In A Matter of Happiness, I enjoyed both time lines and really enjoyed reading about the growth of the woman who was telling her story.1920s - Violet decides to leave her home in Kentucky and move to Detroit to work and learn more about life. She gets a job, moves into a boarding house and begins to make friends. Her best friend Lela is very rich and soon Violet and Lela are spending their off hours at speakeasies and having lots of fun. Violet starts dating Robert and that relationship leads her to a major decision in her life -- is she willing to marry if it means giving up her new found freedom as woman?2018- Melanie is part of the public relations department at a bourbon distillery in Louisville Ky. She has just broken her engagement because her boyfriend wanted her to give up her job and move so that he could get a better job. She loves her job and is putting in lots of extra hours on a new brand of bourbon and trying very head to get a much sought after promotion. Violet was her great aunt and as she was investigating the car that Violet left for her ( a scarlet-red Jordan MX Playboy) she finds Violet's journal hidden in the trunk. As she reads more about Violet's quest to be an independent woman, she realizes that Violet is also sharing what she learned in her life and during her adventure in Detroit. In many ways. Violet and Melanie had some of the same challenges in their lives in their quest to learn what it really means to be a woman.This intriguing dual time line novel is about family and love, adventure and fulfillment but most of all it's about learning to be an independent woman while making sure you remember what's the most important part of life -- happiness.

[fredreeca · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Melanie’s Aunt Violet has passed away and left her an old car, a Jordan. Inside this Jordan, Melanie finds Aunt Violet’s journal. This old car and this journal have a story to tell.The novel is told in two different time periods, present day and the Jazz Age. It covers the speakeasies and the bourbon of today. Then there is Aunt Violet and her secret past. And Melanie and her worries of her job and her life. I absolutely loved these two characters, especially Aunt Violet. She really was a woman ahead of her time.I really enjoyed this author’s first book Millicent Glenn’s Last Wish. You can see my review here. So, I jumped at the chance to read this one. And it is super! I loved everything about it! The time period, the characters, and the setting. It even had me googling the Jordan car. I can just picture Aunt Violet sporting around in it.Need just an all around great book…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!I received this novel from the author for a honest review.