Happiness as a Choice: The Power of Decision in Danielle Steel's Novel
The Epigraph as Thesis: A Gift and a Decision
The novel Happiness opens with an epigraph that succinctly captures its core philosophy: "Happiness is a choice, and a gift." This dual declaration frames happiness not as a passive windfall but as an active decision—one that must be made repeatedly, even when circumstances are harsh. The story of protagonist Sabrina Brooks is a sustained exploration of how a person can claim happiness by choosing it, while also acknowledging that some gifts (like love or an inherited estate) arrive unbidden. The tension between these two halves—choice and gift—creates the novel's emotional depth.
Sabrina's Foundational Choice: Happiness Before Romance
When we first meet Sabrina at age forty-eight, she has already made a defining decision about her life. After escaping an abusive marriage to Dr. Tom Wilkins and building a successful career as a thriller writer, she has settled into a barn home in the Berkshires with her dogs Winnie and Piglet. The chapter outline tells us she is "happy and grateful for her solitary, creative life." This is not accidental; it is the result of a conscious philosophy she developed in the aftermath of trauma.
In Chapter 7 (per the outline), Sabrina reflects on a lesson from a support group: the necessity of an "equal partner" in integrity and values. She realizes that her past with Gray Abbott, who had hidden his marriage, lacks that equality. Rather than collapse into despair, she declares: "her happiness was up to her." This moment crystallizes the theme: happiness is a deliberate response to pain, not a feeling that circumstances must grant. She chooses her work, her dogs, and her peaceful solitude over the chaos of a dishonest relationship.
The Choice to Risk Love Again
Despite her resolve, Sabrina does not close herself off permanently. When Gray Abbott reappears in Chapter 9 and confesses his love, she faces a difficult dilemma. Gray is still married to Matilda Abbott, though he is planning a divorce. Sabrina could walk away to protect herself, as she had done before. Instead, she chooses to engage—but on her own terms.
During their idyllic weekend together, Sabrina tells Gray plainly: "Happiness is a choice, and she would not rely on him for her well-being." The outline records that she opens up about her past but refuses to make Gray the source of her future joy. This is a mature, active choice: she will love him, but she will not stake her entire happiness on his actions. She explicitly says that even if things do not work out, she will not mourn him forever—she will find joy again in her work, her dogs, and her friends. This statement is the philosophical heart of the novel. Sabrina chooses to love, but she also chooses to remain whole. Her decision is not a surrender to fate but a deliberate risk, grounded in self-awareness.
The Choice to Claim a New Life
The theme reaches its climax when Sabrina decides to move to England and take possession of Brooks Manor, the estate she inherited. In Chapter 15, she explains this decision to Gray: "I learned that lesson from my parents. They both deprived themselves of everything that was worth having. I decided not to do that. One of those choices again." Her father Alastair Brooks had let grief over Caragh's betrayal consume him, leaving him emotionally empty. Her mother Simone chose self-indulgence over family. Sabrina refuses to repeat their mistakes.
She also makes a painful choice to confront her mother in Florida. The meeting is cold and void of warmth—Simone admits she never wanted children. Yet the encounter frees Sabrina from self-blame. She accepts that her parents' flaws were not her fault and returns with a clearer identity. This is a choice to heal rather than to remain wounded. The symbol of Caragh's grave haunts the story—the grave of her father's first love, who abandoned him for his brother. Sabrina chooses not to let that tragedy define her.
Symbols of Choosing
The novel uses several objects to reinforce the theme. The engagement ring that Gray's father gives Sabrina is both a gift and a symbol of the choice she has made to trust Gray despite the long, painful wait. The ring is an heirloom, a gift from the past, but wearing it requires her active decision to accept Gray's proposal. Similarly, Winnie and Piglet (her dogs) represent constancy and unconditional love—a foundation she has chosen to build her life upon, regardless of romantic outcomes. They are the tangible proof that happiness can be a daily micro-choice: to care for them, to take walks, to remain present.
Brooks Manor itself is a gift of inheritance, but Sabrina must decide to claim it. She almost sells it after Gray's betrayal, but later she chooses to move there and make it her home. This is a physical embodiment of the theme: the estate is a gift, but only her choice to inhabit it transforms it into a source of happiness.
Complexity and Contradiction
The novel does not pretend that choosing happiness is simple. Sabrina's initial decision to be happy alone is challenged by her love for Gray. She must navigate the pain of his secrecy, the uncertainty of his divorce, and the fear of repeating her mother's abandonment. The narrative does not suggest that happiness is always achievable by sheer will. Sabrina herself qualifies her philosophy: "Happiness is a choice, except if something terrible goes wrong with one's health." This recognition of limits adds depth. The choice is not magic; it is a discipline within constraints.
Gray, too, must make a choice. He has to decide to leave a comfortable, if empty, marriage and withstand the social and emotional cost of divorce. The text shows that the "choice" for happiness often requires sacrifice and patience. Sabrina's friend Caleb Clarke offers a contrasting perspective: he once thought he had happiness "sewn up for a lifetime," then lost it. His story reminds readers that choices can be overturned by unforeseen events. Yet the novel's message is not pessimistic; it is resilient. The choice to continue choosing, even after loss, is what defines Sabrina.
Study Questions and Answers
1. How does Sabrina's decision to confront her mother Simone exemplify the theme "happiness as a choice"?
Sabrina actively chooses to seek closure by flying to Florida, despite the risk of rejection. The cold meeting frees her from self-blame and allows her to accept her past. This painful choice is a deliberate step toward emotional liberation, proving that happiness often requires facing discomfort.
2. Why does the novel include the epigraph "Happiness is a choice, and a gift"? How does the story reconcile these two ideas?
The epigraph frames happiness as both an active decision and a passive endowment. Sabrina chooses to be happy through work and friendship, but she also receives gifts like Gray's love and Brooks Manor. The novel reconciles them by showing that gifts must be actively accepted and nurtured—they do not bestow happiness automatically.
3. What role does Gray Abbott's own choice play in the theme?
Gray must choose to leave his marriage and pursue a genuine relationship. His decision to finalize the divorce and give Sabrina the engagement ring shows that happiness requires mutual action. The theme does not rest solely on Sabrina; it applies to all characters who commit to honest, vulnerable relationships.
4. How does the symbol of Caragh's grave contrast with Sabrina's choices?
Caragh's grave represents a tragic choice: Alastair's refusal to move on after losing her. Sabrina explicitly decides not to let past loss define her. She visits the grave [in the novel's timeline, per outline information] but uses it as a reminder to choose life and love rather than permanent mourning.
5. Is the theme of "happiness as a choice" contradicted by Sabrina's initial anger and hurt when she learns Gray is married?
No, the contradiction is part of the theme's realism. Sabrina feels pain, but she does not let it dictate her future. She retreats to her barn, writes, and re-centers herself before eventually choosing to forgive and trust Gray again. The choice is not to feel no pain but to act despite it—a nuanced, mature understanding of happiness.