Readers Place

What We Think

Laurie Ip Fung Chun, Cornerstone Editorial, on Lottery:

Lottery is the captivating, funny and poignant tale that will stay with you long after the final page. The story is narrated by Perry L. Crandall, a thirty-two year old who lives with his Gram and works at the local marine supply store. Abandoned by his mother when he was a baby and disowned by his brothers, Perry is nevertheless lucky – his Gram tells him so. However, Gram is old and one day Perry isn’t able to wake her. She has died in the night and Perry turns to his friends Gary, the owner of the store and his best friend Keith, for support and help. However, when Perry realises that he is the winner of the yet to be claimed lottery win of twelve million dollars, events unfold that bring hundreds of fortune hunters and his estranged ‘family’ including his long lost mother, suddenly deciding that Perry needs their help.

One of the things I love about Lottery is its ability to make the reader experience what Perry is feeling through the power of words. We feel Perry’s anguish and pain as he deals with the challenges that face him and we delight in the uplifting moments that makes this novel such a feel good read. Lottery is a touching and heart warming story exploring issues of family loyalty, friendships, love and what constitutes disability. Although there are some sad moments, it is also filled with humour. The wonderfully charming characters that bubble off the page make this an enchanting but thought provoking read. I couldn’t put it down.