The Happiest Girl in the World

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 womans dreams of Olympic gymnastic goldand what it takes to reach the top For Sera Wheeler, the Olympics is the reason for everything. Its 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, its why she rises before dawn to drive Sera to practice in a different state, and why the family scrimps, saves, and fractures. Its why, when Seras 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 dreamdidnt she? Sera doubles down, taping broken toes, numbing torn muscles, and pouring her familys resources into the sport. Soon she isnt training for the love of gymnastics. Shes 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. Its about the price of greatness.