The Happiness Bureau
Albert Happy is a strange fellow. He is just over fifty, a little dry, meticulous, and he works at the Agency for Administrative Affairs. Forms, stamps, and service regulations are the world in which he has established himself as an exemplary employee. Literally speaking, because Albert not only works in the agency, he also lives there. Unknown to any of his co-workers, he has set up a small room in the basement for himself and is happily devoted to the same day-to-day routine, lived out fully within the agency's four walls. But one day Albert's carefully arranged order hits a snag. On his desk, he discovers an application which should not really exist. Its officially designated number is not part of the bureaucratic system, and the applicant has not applied for anything specific. Albert does everything he can to get rid of this unfortunate request, but in vain. It reappears morning after morning on his desktop. And so he has no choice but to make his way out of the building, which he has not left in years, to locate the applicant. On his journey, Albert meets Anna Sugus, a pretty, wild artist who turns Albert's world upside down ...
207 Pages
Release Date: 2018
Born in 1968, Andreas Izquierdo is an author and screenplay writer. He has published various works, including the novel Koenig von Albanien (2007), for which he received the Sir Walter Scott Prize for the best historical novel of the year, and Apocalypsia (2010), which was honored with the Lovelybooks Readers' Award in Silver for the best book of 2010 and was selected as the Book of the Year by Vorab-lesen.de. His next book, the novel Fräulein Hedy träumt vom Fliegen, was released by Suhrkamp / Insel in in January 2018.
Rachel Hildebrandt is a German to English translator who specializes in contemporary fiction. Although my concentration is in literary texts, I also have experience with historical, primary source translations (journals, letters, etc.) and can read old German handwriting styles as well.
She edits everything from science fiction novels to translation samples to scholarly books. Rachel is especially interested in editorial projects that involve translated literary works and texts from around the world.
Reviews
"The Happiness Bureau is a sweet and touching novel, both romantic and inspiring. " Monica Carter, FOREWORD REVIEWS
"I fell in love with the lanky, grey man in his little grey office, even though he seems like he would just be a boring paper-pusher. The elderly pensioner was just one of the people that made me cry, and I will probably join Albert multiple times for a ballroom dance in the foyer." Amazon Review
"Out of gray bureaucracy and modern office life comes this story of magic, color, and hope. Mr. Happy's story made me smile, laugh, and cry." Amazon Review