Lottery (Hardcover)

by Patricia Wood (Author) "I write things down so I do not forget..." (more)
Key Phrases: lottery list, boat stuff, lottery office, Diamond Girl, Patricia Wood, Marina Handy Mart (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Perry Crandall has an IQ of 76, but is not retarded, as he'll have you know: his IQ would need to be less than 75 for that, and he knows the difference even if others may not. Perry, the 32-year-old narrator of Wood's warm-fuzzy debut, has worked at the same marine supply store for half his life and lives with his wisecracking grandmother Gram, whose gems of folk wisdom help him along. But when Gram dies, Perry's selfish, money-grubbing family members swoop in and swindle him out of the proceeds from the sale of her house—and then come a-knocking again when Perry wins $12 million in the Washington State Lottery. Suddenly everyone is paying attention to Perry, but who can he trust? Even his friends from the marine supply store behave differently, and on top of everything else, Perry finds himself falling for convenience store clerk Cherry, who has problems of her own. Despite his family's shenanigans and sinister maneuverings, Perry holds his own and discovers abilities he didn't know he had. The wisdoms here run more cute than deep, but Wood's light humor and likable narrator should have mass appeal. (Aug.)
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Review
"Patricia Wood's debut novel tickles your funny bone, tugs your heartstrings, and redefines the word 'fortunate' all at once."
-Redbook

"[An] irresistible debut novel about what makes people good or bad, smart or stupid."
-Good Housekeeping

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Adult (August 2, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399154493
• ISBN-13: 978-0399154492
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (161 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #188,421 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great read!, August 6, 2007

By	Mary Akers (Western NY United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Perry L. Crandall would like you to know that he is not retarded. Retarded would be 75 on an IQ test, and he is 76. Besides, Perry takes care not only of himself, but also of his Gran, a crusty, no-nonsense woman who loves him for who he is and lets him shine his light through his own accomplishments. (She tells him the L in his name stands for Lucky.)

Perry describes his life in simple and succinct sentences that manage to be full of wonder and surprise. As he speaks, we see all too clearly the many ways in which his nuclear family has failed him, but Perry never sees it that way. His glass is always half full. Shoot, his glass is three-quarters full--it only looks half-full to those of us too blind to see things the Perry Crandall way. And it's this innocence and optimism that makes his family betrayals all the more heartbreaking to the reader. We want to crawl into the book and protect Perry from the vultures, especially when he faces the biggest tragedy of his life.

But Perry insists he doesn't need protecting, and he proceeds to prove it us and to the three remaining people who care the most about him: Gary, the owner of Holsted's Marine Supply who has employed Perry since he was sixteen years old; Keith, Perry's heavy, flatulent, potty-mouthed co-worker; and Cherry a young, tattooed and pierced cashier at the local Marina Handy Mart.

When Perry wins the Washington state lottery we learn just who his real friends (and real family) are. His mostly estranged cousin-brothers come knocking, strangers arrive on his doorstep...and we hope--oh how we hope--that Perry can learn to distinguish the friends from the leeches.

There is so much to love about this big-hearted first novel. The characters are rich and real and alive. Perry's voice is fresh, authentic, consistent, and homespun-philosopher-wise...and then, there's the ending. Oh, the ending! The ending is so unexpectedly perfect and poignant and satisfying. I keep trying not to write, "Keep a box of tissues handy," but, well, keep a box of tissues handy. You'll need them. But--to use another cliche--you'll be smiling through your tears.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 'I am an auditor', January 27, 2008

By	J. Cameron-Smith "Expect the Unexpected" (ACT, Australia) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Lottery (Hardcover)

Such a delightful novel! I suspect that many of us could learn a lot from Perry L. Crandall and his Gram.

Perry's world is an interesting blend of keen observation, acquired learning and intuitive feeling. He may not always know why something is happening but he is able to make a form of sense of it quicker than many others can. Perry, or Per to his best friends, is able to work out what is right for him even if some of his logic is foreign to others.
I enjoyed this novel: I like where it finished and the neat sense of hope for the future, despite some sad aspects to the journey.

Sentimental? Sure it is. That's what makes this novel come alive. Ms Wood has delivered an unlikely but likeable hero, some well-developed secondary characters and some despicable villains.

Perry may be an auditor, but he is also a contributor.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An enjoyable and thought provoking book, August 2, 2007

By	John Elder Robison (Massachusetts, USA) - See all my reviews

Lottery is the first account I've read that talks in a realistic manner about what it's like to be "slow." I'm Aspergian, and in many ways I am the opposite of slow, and yet the problems I face in my own life bear many similarities to what I read in Lottery.

I think Pat drew extensively on her own real life experiences - her dad winning the lattery for real, a slow brother in law, and veterans in the family. That resulted in a very real feel to all the people.

It's basically a happy tale, though parts were actually very troubling to me, because I was teased in the same manner she describes in the book. Consequently, the parts that were troubling and hard for me to read might seem funny to a person who had a different upbringing. I had the same response to my brother's book about our childhood, Running With Scissors.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading about the human condition, and I also recommend it to people who work with the developmentally challenged, and their families.

Finally, I would say the book is written with sensitivity and compassion, and it does not contain gratuitous sex or violence. There's nothing in it to scare you away.