Lucky by Jane Smiley
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jane Smiley gives readers a fully atmospheric novel brimming with grit and glitter. In Lucky, we watch one woman’s rise to fame and the journey across changing times to find herself.
Folk Musician’s Rise to Fame
When we meet Jodie Rattler, she is six years old and accompanying her uncle to the racetrack. Uncle Drew lets her pick the winning numbers and as luck would have it, they win big! With the roll of two-dollar bills Uncle Drew gave Jodie as her part of the winnings, she begins to consider herself lucky. Jodie holds on to that roll of cash as a physical representation of her luck that she will keep hidden for years to come.
From then on, we see Jodie grow up as a child of the 60s in St. Louis, where she lives with her single mom and loving extended family. She has always had a talent for music and while studying at Penn State, Jodie’s singing career suddenly takes off. With moderate success and savvy investments made by Uncle Drew, she now has the financial freedom to travel abroad.
Now on the fringes of fame, Jodie becomes more familiar with recording studios, life backstage, and touring during a time when other 60s icons are making a name for themselves. Throughout the novel, many iconic musicians from the time period are name-dropped, such as Janis Joplin, Judy Collins, and Joni Mitchell. This adds an element of realism that brings readers further into the story.
During her rise to fame, Jodie has grown up, sang her own songs, taken lovers and lived a very independent and freeing life. But while Jodie’s life as a musician is satisfying, she can’t shake the sense that something is missing. Ultimately, she walks away and returns to her Midwestern roots to care for her family.
Twist Ending Defies Expectations
In the end, Lucky takes a surprising turn, leaping into the future, which is a deep contrast from the rest of the narrative. In my opinion, the jarring shift in perspectives could be a symbol of the extremes that we are living through today, which define our current time in politics and beyond. It could be considered a very polarizing ending, but only goes to show Jane Smiley’s willingness to challenge our expectations.
I would recommend this novel if you are a reader who enjoys following a character across their entire lifetime — someone who considers life itself adventure enough. While this book doesn’t have a lot of action, there is a lot of humanity. Overall, Lucky by Jane Smiley is a soulful coming-of-age novel through the decades that serves as a soundtrack to history.
About Jane Smiley:
Jane Smiley is the author of numerous novels, including A Thousand Acres, which was awarded the Pulitzer Prize, and the Last Hundred Years Trilogy: Some Luck, Early Warning, and Golden Age. She is the author as well of several works of nonfiction and books for young adults. A member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, she has also received the PEN Center USA Lifetime Achievement Award for Literature. She lives in Northern California.
(Photo Credit: Derek Shapton)
