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Set in Cincinnati and Maryland's 1930s, this book is written in a particularly uncommon yet fresh unique voice. It's written as the characters true voice which emphasizes how that distinct voice sounds. Beginning with an Italian immigrant having trouble with an Irishman and extending to his running away from the city because he thinks the authorities will not believe his account of what happened to the many characters portrayed throughout, the reader will enjoy the humorous account as it enfolds. The main character is a carefree Italian immigrant that ends up in a small town where all the folks are impacted by his personality. Finally, what he can't run away from catches up with him—his past. He's a man on the run.
The conversational dialogue throughout Happiest One! drives its pace. The main character, Fee, cannot escape the American melting pot. This is irrevocably tied into Fee's hybrid culture. From start to finish, it's very easy to understand the notion of his identity and spoken language. The writing style is as it is spoken, and the issues he faces percolate throughout the book.
Even if the reader isn't familiar with the accent and non-polished English Language of the characters, the reader can follow surprisingly easily. The choice of words is indicative of the 1930s period, written in short sentences often immediately summarized with a single word or short phrase that is one to three words long. This makes the conversations, small talk, and exchanges "familiar" to the unfamiliar. For any reader, this is a quick and interesting read, although some of the language might not be suitable for young adults.