Happy Iceland: How Icelandic Strangers Taught a Miserable American the Secret to Lifelong Happiness

Launching June 2026

A simple question at Iceland's international airport—What are your happiest memories of Iceland?—sets off an unforgettable journey across the Land of Fire and Ice. Abandoning guidebooks and itineraries, a young woman on the precipice of turning thirty spends five weeks backpacking and hitchhiking to find the locations where Icelandic strangers' happiest memories took place. From childhood sports fields and family farms to hidden waterfalls and the remote Highlands, this intimate travel memoir explores Iceland far beyond what can be seen from a sightseeing bus tour. Part adventure, part meditation on connection and joy, Happy Iceland is a reminder that some of the best journeys begin when we shut up and listen.

As Icelandic journalist Reynir Traustason noted in Icelandic newspaper, Stundin, (now called Heimildin)  “Leitaði hamingjunnar á Íslandi í ástarsorg”—the Icelandic people taught this lowly American the true meaning of happiness. Read the article now. 

Listen to Anne Marie on KHOL Public Radio telling a story about Iceland that earned her first place in the Teton County Story Slam. 

Advanced praise for HAPPY ICELAND:

"Happy Iceland is a rare triumph—both for the writer's brain in Anne Marie Wells and for the health of her heart. It's a triple threat when an author can educate, entertain and embolden you all at once. And I suppose a quadruple threat, when they move you to change how you live. Wells accomplishes this and more in this unique, beautiful memoir, one you will not be able to put down. It should be called Happy Everywhere....as it helped me find joy no matter where I went after I read it." —Laura Carney, the author of My Father's List: How Living My Dad's Dreams Set Me Free

“Anne Marie is a wonderful spirit filled with adventure, spontaneity, humor, and bravery who makes an instant connection to one's heart the way music does--no words needed. In her book, she recounts the incredible adventures she had while traveling and hitchhiking on her quest to find what made random Icelanders happy. Happy Iceland chronicles the people Wells met, the friends she made, the culture she shared, the beautiful (and sometimes harsh) nature she encountered, and how the journey helped her to see more clearly what changes she needed to make in her own life to be happier. A wonderful story and a reminder that connecting and loving other people is the essence of our existence.” —Þórlaug Sveinsdóttir, Icelandic local, Reykjavik tour guide

“Anne Marie´s story is unique. When heartbreak came knocking, she embarked on an incredible journey of uncertainty where she sought out Icelandic locals and their knowledge of happiness. I met her in Norðurfjörður, one of Iceland’s most sparsely populated communities and was instantly captivated by her broad smile and optimism. Happy Iceland is the tale of a hero who conquers her sorrow and spreads hope.” —Reynir Traustason, Editor-in-Chief of the Icelandic news magazine, Mannlíf