Modern Happiness — Michael Gilbert

Ashley, Kiley, and Turner are all in love with the same man -- Aram. Ashley is twenty-eight and engaged to be married, but she finds herself unable to fully recover from her breakup with Aram. He still contacts her and proclaims his love for her, despite being in a relationship with Kiley. Kiley is twenty-four and lives with Aram in a shared apartment. She hopes that he will marry her one day. Meanwhile, Turner finds it impossible to conceal her infatuation for Aram. She is a twenty year-old artist attending a local community college. She believes that eventually Aram will realize that despite her age, she is capable of a mature relationship with him. Modern Happiness challenges the reader to consider what constitutes happiness in a contemporary world where romantic relationships become so complex that what people say and do often contradicts what they genuinely feel. The ensuing confusion makes it difficult to discern what anyone really desires.