Tempest: Storms and Longings

Shelley and Jay, long-married ranchers in Texas, face a literal and emotional tempest as a tornado approaches their home. Shelley, restless and yearning for more than her routine life, is both thrilled and terrified by the storm's arrival. As the tornado rips through their world, Shelley is stripped—literally and figuratively—of her old self, contemplating escape and reinvention. Yet, in the storm's aftermath, as Jay tends to her wounds with quiet devotion, Shelley is reminded of their shared history and the comfort of his steadfastness. The storm passes, leaving her with a renewed, if bittersweet, sense of belonging and the realization that happiness is often found in the familiar, even as dreams of elsewhere linger.

If You're Happy: Unexpected Connections

Alistair, a solitary man haunted by dreams and the weight of his own isolation, discovers an abandoned baby in a car on a quiet Edinburgh night. His instinct to care for the child awakens a tenderness and hope he thought lost. As he sings "If You're Happy and You Know It," the baby responds, and Alistair imagines a new life together. When authorities arrive, he lies to protect the child, desperate to hold onto this fleeting sense of family. But reality intrudes, and as the police break in, Alistair's heart gives way. In his final moments, he clings to the connection he found, whispering comfort to the child as the world closes in.

Eclipse: Shadows and Light

Kari, recently treated for cancer, gathers her husband Leo and their twins to witness a solar eclipse. The celestial event becomes a metaphor for the family's journey through fear and hope. As darkness falls and light returns, Kari's anxiety about her health is mirrored in the shifting sky. Later, in the hospital waiting room, the family's tension is palpable as they await biopsy results. Relief floods them when the news is good—the shadow was nothing. The experience leaves Kari and her family with a renewed appreciation for life's beauty and fragility, and the power of shared moments to heal and unite.

Constant Small Adjustments

Lindsay, a police officer haunted by a traumatic call-out, struggles with insomnia, guilt, and the strain on her marriage. The persistent noise of rats in her home becomes a symbol of her inner turmoil. At work, she faces another welfare check, triggering memories of past failures. Through small acts—accepting tea from an elderly man, deciding to end an affair with her partner Marc, and reconnecting with her husband Noah—Lindsay begins to make the "constant small adjustments" needed to survive. The chapter explores the slow, painful process of healing and the importance of choosing to stay, even when haunted by the past.

The Glacier's Edge

Joseph, recently widowed, travels to Iceland to escape his grief. On a glacier hike, he is paired with Kimmy, an exuberant American whose presence grates on his nerves. As they fall behind the group, Joseph's bottled anger erupts, leading to Kimmy's fall into a crevasse. The crisis forces Joseph to confront his own pain and capacity for cruelty. In the cold and isolation, Kimmy's compassion and resilience help thaw Joseph's defenses. As snow begins to fall, Joseph breaks down, and Kimmy comforts him. The chapter ends with a fragile sense of hope, as Joseph realizes that connection and forgiveness—of self and others—are possible, even in the bleakest landscapes.

Classroom Fault Lines

Stacey, a young teacher in a remote juvenile detention center, tries to inspire her troubled students, especially Tom, a wary but talented writer. When Tom wins a writing competition, Stacey feels she's made a difference. However, the fragile trust is shattered when Tom and his friends bully another boy, exposing the persistent cycles of violence and betrayal. Stacey's idealism is tested, and she decides to leave, her sense of accomplishment tainted by the reality of the boys' pain and her own limitations. The chapter captures the complexity of hope, disappointment, and the longing to matter.

The Ibis Tree

Liam, a widower, struggles to care for his young son Thad, who falls mysteriously ill. As a flock of ibises gathers in the tree outside their home, Liam becomes convinced the birds are an omen or cause of Thad's sickness. In a fevered act of desperation, he burns the tree, believing it will save his son. Miraculously, Thad recovers, but the lingering presence of a feather suggests that some losses and fears can never be fully banished. The story explores grief, superstition, and the fierce, irrational love of a parent fighting for their child.

Sinkhole of the Heart

Veena, recently divorced and suffering mysterious health symptoms, discovers a growing sinkhole in her backyard. As the hole expands, consuming her garden and eventually her house, Veena's sense of self and stability erodes. Medical tests reveal her symptoms are the result of heartbreak, not illness. When the sinkhole finally swallows everything, Veena is left with nothing but the support of a friend. In the void, she finds a strange liberation, realizing that survival and happiness are possible even after profound loss.

Celestial Marriage

Clara, a wife in a fundamentalist Mormon community, navigates the complexities of plural marriage as her husband Will courts a new, much younger wife, Beth. The family's rituals and prayers are meant to ensure celestial happiness, but Beth's reluctance and desire for independence unsettle the household. Clara's faith is tested as she confronts her own doubts and the limits of obedience. The chapter examines the tension between communal belonging and individual desire, and the quiet acts of resistance that shape a life.

The Beach and the Box

Michael, recently made redundant and reeling from divorce, contemplates ending his life at the beach that holds memories of family and love. A message from his daughter pulls him back from the brink. Later, as he unpacks his office belongings, he discovers that the painting his ex-wife gave him now shows footprints leading from the sea to the shore—a sign of survival and the possibility of new paths. The story is a meditation on despair, memory, and the small miracles that can change a life's direction.

Bowerbird's Courtship

Ruth, on her eightieth birthday, observes a male bowerbird's elaborate courtship display, reflecting on her own long marriage to Kolya, now lost to dementia. The beauty and persistence of the bird's rituals mirror Ruth's devotion to her husband, even as he forgets her. The family gathers to celebrate, but the real celebration is Ruth's quiet resilience and the bittersweet joy of loving someone through decline. The chapter is a poignant exploration of memory, identity, and the ways love endures.

The Last Game

In a student housing community, a group of children play "Ghost in the Graveyard" as dusk falls. Susan, eager to belong, befriends a new boy, Clem, only to discover later that he is the ghost of a murdered child. The game becomes a metaphor for innocence lost and the shadows that linger in the wake of violence. The story captures the fleeting nature of childhood, the longing for connection, and the ways in which trauma haunts the living.

A Slow Exhalation

Colin, a widower and classical music radio host, finds purpose in his daily routines and the small community of listeners he serves. When his regular caller Lacey fails to phone in, Colin braves a storm to check on her, discovering her injured outside her home. Their brief, meaningful connection affirms the importance of kindness and the impact of even the smallest gestures. The chapter is a quiet celebration of resilience, aging, and the music that sustains us.

Aftershock

Karl, an elderly immigrant, leaves his daughter's house after a family dinner, only to be stranded in the snow. As he overhears his daughter's frustrations, Karl is forced to confront his own loneliness and the generational gaps that separate them. Rescued by his granddaughter's boyfriend, Karl survives, but the experience leaves the family shaken. The story explores the complexities of love, resentment, and the ways families struggle to communicate across divides of age and culture.

Boxing Day

Sanjay attends the funeral of his childhood friend Warren, reflecting on the distance that has grown between them and the choices that led them apart. The narrative weaves together the perspectives of Sanjay, a teenage boy named Titan, and Mandy, a mother whose son has just left home. Each character grapples with loss, regret, and the longing for connection. The chapter is a meditation on the ways we drift from those we love, and the small acts of reaching out that can begin to heal old wounds.

Plume: Ash and Beginnings

Lori, a teenager in rural Washington, navigates the turbulence of adolescence, family expectations, and a stifling small town. After a volcanic eruption blankets the landscape in ash, Lori seeks out Joelle, a new girl at school, forging a tentative friendship in the altered world. The disaster becomes a catalyst for change, offering Lori a chance to break free from old patterns and embrace the possibility of something new. The chapter ends with the two girls riding into the unknown, the future open before them.

Characters

Shelley

Shelley is a Texas rancher's wife whose life is defined by routine and the quiet disappointments of a long marriage. Her relationship with Jay is marked by affection and frustration, and she is haunted by dreams of escape and self-fulfillment. The tornado that strikes their home becomes a crucible for Shelley's desires, stripping her down to her core and forcing her to confront what she truly values. Her development is a study in ambivalence—caught between the comfort of the known and the ache for possibility.

Alistair

Alistair is a lonely, middle-aged man in Edinburgh, haunted by nightmares and a sense of failure in relationships. His unexpected encounter with an abandoned baby awakens a deep well of tenderness and longing for family. Alistair's psychological landscape is shaped by regret and hope, and his actions—protecting the child at all costs—reveal both his vulnerability and his capacity for love. His story is a poignant exploration of the human need for connection and the pain of its absence.

Kari

Kari is a woman who has faced cancer and the fear of mortality, striving to hold her family together through uncertainty. Her relationship with Leo and their twins is characterized by warmth, humor, and the unspoken anxieties that illness brings. Kari's journey through the eclipse and her medical ordeal is marked by resilience, vulnerability, and a deep appreciation for life's fleeting beauty. She embodies the strength found in facing darkness and emerging into light.

Joseph

Joseph is a Sydney lawyer whose partner Aden has died of motor neurone disease. Overwhelmed by grief and anger, Joseph travels to Iceland, hoping to outrun his pain. His interactions with Kimmy, a stranger who becomes both irritant and mirror, force him to confront his own flaws and the possibility of healing. Joseph's psychological arc moves from numbness and rage to a fragile openness, as he learns that connection and forgiveness are possible even in the aftermath of loss.

Stacey

Stacey is a young educator in a juvenile detention center, determined to make a difference in the lives of her students. Her relationship with Tom, a talented but wary boy, is central to her sense of purpose. Stacey's optimism is tested by the persistent violence and betrayal she witnesses, culminating in a crisis that shatters her faith in her ability to help. Her development is marked by the painful recognition of her own limitations and the complexity of hope.

Liam

Liam is a widower struggling to raise his young son Thad after the death of his wife Jess. When Thad falls mysteriously ill, Liam's desperation leads him to irrational acts—burning the ibis-infested tree he believes is harming his child. Liam's psychological journey is one of raw, primal love, fear, and the search for meaning in the face of inexplicable suffering. His story is a testament to the lengths a parent will go to protect their child, and the lingering shadows of grief.

Veena

Veena is a middle-aged woman whose life unravels after her marriage ends. The sinkhole that appears in her backyard becomes a powerful symbol of her emotional state—loss, emptiness, and the fear of being consumed by grief. Veena's journey through medical uncertainty and the literal collapse of her home leads her to a place of acceptance and the realization that survival is possible, even when everything familiar is gone.

Clara

Clara is a member of a fundamentalist Mormon community, navigating the demands of plural marriage and the expectations of her faith. Her relationship with her husband Will and co-wife Liz is marked by love, duty, and the tension between obedience and doubt. The arrival of Beth, a potential new wife, forces Clara to confront her own desires and the limits of her belief. Clara's development is a subtle negotiation between belonging and individuality, faith and selfhood.

Michael

Michael is a recently divorced, unemployed man who contemplates suicide at the beach that holds memories of happier times. His relationship with his daughter Sophie and the legacy of his marriage to Leah are central to his sense of self. Michael's psychological journey is one of despair, nostalgia, and the slow, painful process of rebuilding. The discovery of footprints in a painting becomes a metaphor for survival and the possibility of new beginnings.

Ruth

Ruth is an eighty-year-old woman caring for her husband Kolya, who is lost to dementia. Her reflections on their life together, mirrored in the courtship rituals of a bowerbird, reveal a deep well of love, patience, and sorrow. Ruth's relationship with her daughter Alex and the rituals of daily life are suffused with tenderness and resilience. Her story is a meditation on memory, identity, and the enduring power of love in the face of decline.

Plot Devices

Interconnected Short Stories

The book is structured as a collection of short stories, each focusing on different characters and settings but united by recurring motifs of happiness, loss, resilience, and the search for meaning. The stories are loosely connected by thematic resonance rather than direct narrative links, allowing the reader to see the common threads of human experience across diverse circumstances.

Symbolism and Metaphor

Throughout the collection, physical phenomena—storms, eclipses, sinkholes, plagues of mice, birds, and even a painting—serve as metaphors for the characters' internal states. These symbols externalize psychological struggles, making the abstract tangible and heightening the emotional impact of each story.

Shifting Perspectives

Many stories employ shifts in perspective, moving between characters or even generations, to reveal the complexity of relationships and the ways in which individuals misunderstand or fail to see one another. This device fosters empathy and underscores the multiplicity of truths within any given situation.

Foreshadowing and Circularity

The narrative often employs foreshadowing—subtle hints of coming disaster or revelation—and circular structures, where endings echo beginnings. This creates a sense of inevitability and continuity, reinforcing the idea that life's challenges and joys are both unique and universal.

Emotional Realism

The stories are marked by a commitment to emotional realism, eschewing sentimentality in favor of honest, sometimes uncomfortable truths. Characters are flawed, their victories small and hard-won, their failures deeply felt. This device grounds the collection in the messiness of real life, making its moments of grace all the more powerful.

Analysis

Fiona Robertson's If You're Happy is a masterful exploration of the human condition, rendered through a mosaic of short stories that span continents, ages, and circumstances. The collection's central preoccupation is the elusive nature of happiness—how it is sought, lost, and sometimes found in the most unexpected places. Robertson's characters are united by their vulnerability, their longing for connection, and their resilience in the face of adversity. The book's structure, with its shifting perspectives and recurring motifs, invites readers to see themselves in its pages, to recognize the universality of pain, hope, and the small moments that make life bearable. Through storms, illness, loss, and the quiet triumphs of daily life, If You're Happy suggests that happiness is not a destination but a series of choices, adjustments, and acts of grace. The collection is a testament to the power of empathy, the necessity of forgiveness—of self and others—and the enduring human capacity for renewal. In a world marked by uncertainty and change, Robertson's stories offer both solace and challenge, reminding us that happiness, however fleeting, is always worth pursuing.

Last updated: December 30, 2025