Publication
New York : Random House, [2014]
Collection
Call number
Large Print Fiction B
Physical description
319 p.; 22 cm
Status
Available
Call number
Description
Fiction. Literature. Historical Fiction. HTML:NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER �?� NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE WASHINGTON POST AND O: THE OPRAH MAGAZINE �?� Look for special features inside. Join the Random House Reader�??s Circle for author chats and more. �??My father�??s wife died. My mother said we should drive down to his place and see what might be in it for us.�?� So begins this remarkable novel by Amy Bloom, whose critically acclaimed Away was called �??a literary triumph�?� (The New York Times). Lucky Us is a brilliantly written, deeply moving, fantastically funny novel of love, heartbreak, and luck. Disappointed by their families, Iris, the hopeful star and Eva the sidekick, journey through 1940s America in search of fame and fortune. Iris�??s ambitions take the pair across the America of Reinvention in a stolen station wagon, from small-town Ohio to an unexpected and sensuous Hollywood, and to the jazz clubs and golden mansions of Long Island. With their friends in high and low places, Iris and Eva stumble and shine though a landscape of big dreams, scandals, betrayals, and war. Filled with gorgeous writing, memorable characters, and surprising events, Lucky Us is a thrilling and resonant novel about success and failure, good luck and bad, the creation of a family, and the pleasures and inevitable perils of family life, conventional and otherwise. From Brooklyn�??s beauty parlors to London�??s West End, a group of unforgettable people love, lie, cheat and survive in this story of our fragile, absurd, heroic species. Praise for Lucky Us �??Lucky Us is a remarkable accomplishment. One waits a long time for a novel of this scope and dimension, replete with surgically drawn characters, a mix of comedy and tragedy that borders on the miraculous, and sentences that should be in a sentence museum. Amy Bloom is a treasure.�?��??Michael Cunningham �??Exquisite . . . a short, vibrant book about all kinds of people creating all kinds of serial, improvisatory lives.�?��??The New York Times �??Bighearted, rambunctious . . . a bustling tale of American reinvention . . . If America has a Victor Hugo, it is Amy Bloom, whose picaresque novels roam the world, plumb the human heart and send characters into wild roulettes of kismet and calamity.�?��??The Washington Post �??Bloom�??s crisp, delicious prose gives [Lucky Us] the feel of sprawling, brawling life itself. . . . Lucky Us is a sister act, which means a double dose of sauce and naughtiness from the brilliant Amy Bloom.�?��??The Oregonian �??A tasty summer read that will leave you smiling . . . Broken hearts [are] held together by lipstick, wisecracks and the enduring love of sisters.�?��??USA Today �??Exquisitely imagined . . . [a] grand adventure.�?��??O: The Oprah Magazine �??Marvelous picaresque entertainment . . . a festival of joy and terror and lust and amazement that resolves itself here,… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member hellonicole
Lucky Us just did not work for me at all. The "humor" was pretty dark at best, though I can only remember one or two lines that would even qualify there. The characters were a little flat, and mostly unlikable. The story jumps all over the place, never really delving into a single story line long
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enough for me to care how it turned out, and the whole book just felt choppy and disjointed. It really makes me sad to feel this way because there was so much potential in any number of the story lines, but none of them panned out for me. Show Less
LibraryThing member jeanie1
I was disappointed in this book. There was not enough character development, it was not funny, and the story was not interesting. I was really looking forward to read it too! From the reviews I thought the story would be lighter and better developed. I was wrong. I only finished it because I was
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curious to see how the author finished the story. Bleh. Show Less
LibraryThing member bookczuk
I had to let this one marinate a little bit. There's a lot to consider within this book. Lucky Us centers on the concept of family, whether it is blood or created. The opening line is a great one: "My father’s wife died. My mother said we should drive down to his place and see what might be in it
The girls run away to Hollywood, where Iris has hopes of becoming a star. She remade by the studio and her character is revealed bit by bit. They gather and create a home and family, and though they flee California when scandal strikes, family tags along as they move to the east coast to recreate themselves in the New York area. These characters are survivors, which is a good thing, as the life they create, and the characters they don do not always have an easy go of it. But, they're compelling, and the novel is well written and paced, so the ride is easier for the reader than for Iris and Evie. There was one thread of the story which, while I enjoyed very much, seemed somewhat disjointed -- more as a backstory for the reader than an experience for the two girls. It also involves a reinventing of a character, who seems minor but ends up quite significant. (I'm really trying to be mindful of not revealing spoilers as I write this.)
The title, Lucky Us, is a bit misleading. It reminds me, in some odd way of the line from "Young Frankenstein": It could be worse. It could be raining. There's a lot in this book that could be worse, but a lot that it the raining. However, Bloom is excellent at her craft, so even when it's raining, the skill of the writing carries through until the sun comes out. Lucky us.
Many thanks to the publisher and LibraryThing for sending the book my way. (rounded up to 4 stars)
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for us.” And indeed, young Eva, who only saw her father on Thursdays when he came to visit Eva and her mother, take a road trip, where Eva meets her flamboyant older half-sister Iris. but is also abandoned by her own mother. It's just the first of many episodes where family is created by those around you, and where characters shift and reshape themselves with chameleon-like ease.The girls run away to Hollywood, where Iris has hopes of becoming a star. She remade by the studio and her character is revealed bit by bit. They gather and create a home and family, and though they flee California when scandal strikes, family tags along as they move to the east coast to recreate themselves in the New York area. These characters are survivors, which is a good thing, as the life they create, and the characters they don do not always have an easy go of it. But, they're compelling, and the novel is well written and paced, so the ride is easier for the reader than for Iris and Evie. There was one thread of the story which, while I enjoyed very much, seemed somewhat disjointed -- more as a backstory for the reader than an experience for the two girls. It also involves a reinventing of a character, who seems minor but ends up quite significant. (I'm really trying to be mindful of not revealing spoilers as I write this.)
The title, Lucky Us, is a bit misleading. It reminds me, in some odd way of the line from "Young Frankenstein": It could be worse. It could be raining. There's a lot in this book that could be worse, but a lot that it the raining. However, Bloom is excellent at her craft, so even when it's raining, the skill of the writing carries through until the sun comes out. Lucky us.
Many thanks to the publisher and LibraryThing for sending the book my way. (rounded up to 4 stars)
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LibraryThing member skyeval
I had to force myself to finish it. The reviews sounded great. No matter how many topics she threw in (abandoned children, WWII, kidnapping, tarot, and on and on) to try to make this book seem interesting, it bombed. The plot never was developed and I never felt invested in any of the characters.
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Save your time. Show Less
LibraryThing member Itzey
Lucky Us by Amy Bloom
My advance review copy of Lucky Us by Amy Bloom was provided through NetGalley.com and Random House Publishing.
When I was scanning new titles to request I was immediately drawn to this book by the opening sentences provided by Eva's mother. "My father's wife died. My mother
Eva's life transitions rapidly as people come and go; often reappearing physically but with a different identity. At first it annoyed me but I began to see that confusion, disorientation, uncertainty, loss, grief, betrayal, dishonesty, and the inability to sustain relationships was central to the story.
The central characters are caught in the vortex of 1940s world events.
I found it fascinating that the author had strong racial and homosexual facets throughout the book; 1940s women are usually cast as Rosie-the-Riveter. Interracial relationships and homosexual liaisons are not usually central themes in a world at war scenario.
Like the perfect country and western song with trains, mama, and guns, this story has every morally bankrupt and conniving personality; a con-artist philandering father, a narcissistic half-sister, a homosexual Mexican hairdresser, unwed mothers, kidnapping sisters. It also includes deep religious convictions, Holocaust victims and survivors, coming of age sex, homosexual relationships, Japanese and German American detention camps, and Jewish immigration issues.
Eva's father was fond of early Cliff Note books known as The Blue Books; re-invent yourself by speeding reading. This frenetic story rushes along so swiftly that the reader feels out of breath by the end; and the end is rather nice.
The tongue-in-cheek title, Lucky Us,seems perfect in the completely imperfect world of the story. In the end I found it a satisfying read. The correspondence that appeared throughout the book were a little disconcerting but overall I would recommend the book to Amy Bloom fans.
My advance review copy of Lucky Us by Amy Bloom was provided through NetGalley.com and Random House Publishing.
When I was scanning new titles to request I was immediately drawn to this book by the opening sentences provided by Eva's mother. "My father's wife died. My mother
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said we should drive down to his place and see what might be in it for us." I was soon surprised to learn that the mother, whose animated and self-centered remark drew me to the book, actually plays a bit part in the story.Eva's life transitions rapidly as people come and go; often reappearing physically but with a different identity. At first it annoyed me but I began to see that confusion, disorientation, uncertainty, loss, grief, betrayal, dishonesty, and the inability to sustain relationships was central to the story.
The central characters are caught in the vortex of 1940s world events.
I found it fascinating that the author had strong racial and homosexual facets throughout the book; 1940s women are usually cast as Rosie-the-Riveter. Interracial relationships and homosexual liaisons are not usually central themes in a world at war scenario.
Like the perfect country and western song with trains, mama, and guns, this story has every morally bankrupt and conniving personality; a con-artist philandering father, a narcissistic half-sister, a homosexual Mexican hairdresser, unwed mothers, kidnapping sisters. It also includes deep religious convictions, Holocaust victims and survivors, coming of age sex, homosexual relationships, Japanese and German American detention camps, and Jewish immigration issues.
Eva's father was fond of early Cliff Note books known as The Blue Books; re-invent yourself by speeding reading. This frenetic story rushes along so swiftly that the reader feels out of breath by the end; and the end is rather nice.
The tongue-in-cheek title, Lucky Us,seems perfect in the completely imperfect world of the story. In the end I found it a satisfying read. The correspondence that appeared throughout the book were a little disconcerting but overall I would recommend the book to Amy Bloom fans.
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LibraryThing member froxgirl
Look at the deliciously inventive cover and get ready for all the quirkiness Amy Bloom can hurl at the reader! Dual family fathers, disappearing mothers, tarot cards, Hedda Hopper, the Pride of Israel Orphan Home, American deportees sent back to Germany during WWII - yikes, this book has it all.
The characters are all rounded and fascinating, the circumstances all beyond their control. Destiny changes in the flick of an apron too close to a flame.
Lucky Us, and lucky me: I got to stay up all night and read this full-to-the-rim off-the-wall adventure.
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The characters are all rounded and fascinating, the circumstances all beyond their control. Destiny changes in the flick of an apron too close to a flame.
Lucky Us, and lucky me: I got to stay up all night and read this full-to-the-rim off-the-wall adventure.
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LibraryThing member hairball
Confession one: I am a big fan of Amy Bloom. Confession two: This isn't her best book, but I still really enjoyed reading it. My star rating is on the "enjoyment" factor more than anything else.
Lucky Us is a semi-epistolary book. The best letters are sent by a prisoner of war, Gus, and apparently
If you start reading this book and decide you don't care to finish it, be sure to read all of Gus's letters, at the very least.
Lucky Us is a semi-epistolary book. The best letters are sent by a prisoner of war, Gus, and apparently
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never reach their intended recipient. The letters from Gus made the book for me, to the extent that I could forgive everything else.If you start reading this book and decide you don't care to finish it, be sure to read all of Gus's letters, at the very least.
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LibraryThing member brangwinn
Ever wanted to tell someone who is moaning about their life “Just deal with it!”? Here’s another option. Tell them to read Amy Bloom’s Lucky Us. I’m not sure where the lucky part comes in, except that these two half-sisters were lucky enough to put on their big girl panties and deal with
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it. Left at the house of her father by her unwed mother, 12-year-old Eva and her older half-sister, Iris, end up saving their money and running away to Hollywood because their father steals their hard-earned money. Each character you meet in this story could be the main character in another book. As you read it, you learn that family can mean many things. Set in the US and Europe during World War II, it includes letters from a German American friend who was thought to be a spy and “repatriated” to Germany, where of course, the Germans didn’t know what to do with him. There’s Francisco, the Hollywood make-up artist, who along with the girls moves back to New York City. He makes a wonderful father figure. Clara Williams, the jazz singing girlfriend of their father (who has showed up in their lives again—as a butler to a wealthy family), adds depth to the story. The Seattle Times review called this a “beautifully textured story about getting by and moving on.” I couldn’t agree more. Show Less
LibraryThing member sebago
I so wanted to like this novel; Lucky Us. What is not to like? "Disappointed by their families, Iris, the hopeful star and Eva the sidekick, journey through 1940s America in search of fame and fortune." The book was hard to follow and none of the characters inspired me to care for them. I kept
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waiting for the humor that was promised but found none. Deception, kidnapping, death and abandonment but no humor. Alas I would give it 2 stars. Show Less
LibraryThing member VintageReader
I was pretty disappointed by this book. I heard a fantastic radio interview with Amy Bloom, and I was really looking forward to the book, especially after hearing her read the beginning of the chapter in which Iris turns Gus in to the FBI (to get him out of the way because she's in love with his
But I found the structure of the book confusing and disjointed. There are letters from Iris to Eva that recount, in detail, things that Eva certainly would have known, since she was there. There are first-person accounts from Eva. There are third-person accounts from... someone. There are letters from Gus that are interesting, but since they're never delivered, he has to tell Eva everything that was in them when he finally makes it back home.
In the third-person accounts, particularly, the viewpoints are kind of bizarre. There's one scene with Iris and Rose that I read three times, and finally figured out that it said "Rose" where it meant to say "Iris" (or Rose was giving herself a massage suddenly, in the middle of the paragraph). In the scene where Ruthie and Danny are at the rich girl's house, it's hard to figure out who's seeing what (and also, the inclusion of whole chapter made no sense; how did they meet someone in such a different economic situation? And how was it at all important, since she never showed up again?).
Like many others, I found the cast of characters unbelievable. I found it hard to believe that in the 1940s, nearly every woman Iris is interested in is interested in her too. While that might have been true, I doubt that a lot of women would have a) acted on their interest; and b) been so open about their relationships with her, even in New York or Hollywood. They actually stole a little boy from an orphanage and then went around asking about his brother and nobody noticed? Their dad was actually not the Englishman he had always claimed to be, but was in fact Jewish and, what, American? (That's never explained AT ALL; it's just thrown in there at the end).
The thing is, I kept reading because I liked the writing. But there were several times I almost gave up--even on a book as slim as this one--because it was just felt too contrived and confusing.
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wife). I dove right into the book, and was immediately caught up in the writing, which is, for the most part, very lovely.But I found the structure of the book confusing and disjointed. There are letters from Iris to Eva that recount, in detail, things that Eva certainly would have known, since she was there. There are first-person accounts from Eva. There are third-person accounts from... someone. There are letters from Gus that are interesting, but since they're never delivered, he has to tell Eva everything that was in them when he finally makes it back home.
In the third-person accounts, particularly, the viewpoints are kind of bizarre. There's one scene with Iris and Rose that I read three times, and finally figured out that it said "Rose" where it meant to say "Iris" (or Rose was giving herself a massage suddenly, in the middle of the paragraph). In the scene where Ruthie and Danny are at the rich girl's house, it's hard to figure out who's seeing what (and also, the inclusion of whole chapter made no sense; how did they meet someone in such a different economic situation? And how was it at all important, since she never showed up again?).
Like many others, I found the cast of characters unbelievable. I found it hard to believe that in the 1940s, nearly every woman Iris is interested in is interested in her too. While that might have been true, I doubt that a lot of women would have a) acted on their interest; and b) been so open about their relationships with her, even in New York or Hollywood. They actually stole a little boy from an orphanage and then went around asking about his brother and nobody noticed? Their dad was actually not the Englishman he had always claimed to be, but was in fact Jewish and, what, American? (That's never explained AT ALL; it's just thrown in there at the end).
The thing is, I kept reading because I liked the writing. But there were several times I almost gave up--even on a book as slim as this one--because it was just felt too contrived and confusing.
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LibraryThing member c.archer
"Lucky Us" is the story of a family that at first glance seems far from the conventional depiction of that phrase. Many people might in fact find them quite unlucky. The book is set in the 1940's and spans the time of WWII, but it is not particularly written as a historic novel. I guess I would sum
I found the writing to be exceptional. Another author telling this story would have lost me and left me flat, but Ms. Bloom managed to keep me glued to the pages and entranced by her words.
I recommend this for readers who like serious literary fiction with strong characterization. There are lighthearted moments in the telling of this story, but much of it could seem almost exasperatingly tedious, and a reader must appreciate this level of focus and attention to the characters' psyches. I will leave it to you to decide if you think the girls and their family are lucky. I have my answer, and I am more than satisfied with the unique and raw beauty of this story.
I thank the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.
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it up as the dramatic story of a non-traditional family that is acutely focused on the lives of the two sisters and their relationships within their uniquely blended family. The author has created two main characters who struggle through life and yet find some level of success regardless of the events going on around them. Although I didn't always like either of them, I found myself respecting them. Each uses her abilities and strengths to take advantage of the opportunities presented to them and find some degree of happiness. I found the writing to be exceptional. Another author telling this story would have lost me and left me flat, but Ms. Bloom managed to keep me glued to the pages and entranced by her words.
I recommend this for readers who like serious literary fiction with strong characterization. There are lighthearted moments in the telling of this story, but much of it could seem almost exasperatingly tedious, and a reader must appreciate this level of focus and attention to the characters' psyches. I will leave it to you to decide if you think the girls and their family are lucky. I have my answer, and I am more than satisfied with the unique and raw beauty of this story.
I thank the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.
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LibraryThing member dallenbaugh
After reading this book I wondered where the title "Lucky Us" came from since it seemed that no one had much luck in this book. But whether the title was meant to be simply ironical the truth is each main character had just enough luck that at least one person stood by them to help carry them
Bloom is a skilled writer, but I failed to connect with most of the characters and although there was humor at times, I mainly saw a dysfunctional family that was somehow anchored by Eva's willingness to accept her role as the one who stayed. As another reviewer pointed out the letters from Gus were some of the best parts of the book, but the rest of the novel did not match their excellence.
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through the hard times that made up most of the novel. Eva was the main narrator but she often narrated as an observer who continually seemed surprised that life had turned out the way it had. This was partly due to her young age and partly due to her abandonment by those closest to her leaving her stumbling along trying to find her way. It was only at the end of the book Eva emerged as a whole woman who could make decisions and choose who to forgive and embrace.Bloom is a skilled writer, but I failed to connect with most of the characters and although there was humor at times, I mainly saw a dysfunctional family that was somehow anchored by Eva's willingness to accept her role as the one who stayed. As another reviewer pointed out the letters from Gus were some of the best parts of the book, but the rest of the novel did not match their excellence.
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LibraryThing member EEDevore
At first, the book draws readers in. The drama starts early on page 7 when Eva's mother drops her off at her father's house and never comes back. The rest of the book comes too easily, though. Eva's half-sister Iris picks on her a little, but she quickly turns to taking care of Eva and running away
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with her with very little relationship development. Similarly, Iris embraces Hollywood life, including an all-female Orgy, without batting an eyelash. It makes you wonder if Bloom has ever talked to a small-town Ohio girl, especially one who grew up in the 40s. The plot is interesting enough to keep you reading, but character development is severely lacking. Show Less
LibraryThing member mzonderm
Reading this book felt a little like watching a silent movie: some jerky, indistinct action, interspersed with text that's supposed to illuminate the dialogue you can't hear, but doesn't necessarily help bring the story into focus.
The story begins as Eva's mother takes her to her father's house for
I also felt like the narrative followed the wrong character. Eva just isn't very interesting. I'm not sure that I would have found Iris to be all that more compelling, as she comes across as shallow and self-involved, but at least she has agency in her own life. Eva just sort of drifts along, and seems to almost willfully not understand what's going on around her.
And yet, by the end of the book, I understood where the title came from, and what Bloom was trying to do. It was a satisfying ending, if not a satisfying beginning or middle.
The story begins as Eva's mother takes her to her father's house for
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the first time, where she meets her half-sister Iris, and is in for some nasty surprises about her father. Eva and Iris escape to Hollywood, where Iris has some initial success in becoming a starlet, before she is black-balled by the industry. Beginning to widen the cast of characters, Eva and Iris move to New York where the bulk of the action takes place. But why do people choose to go with them? Why do others join the little group in New York? Explanation of motivation is sorely lacking in the narrative. Instead, we are asked to accept, for example, that someone with a long and successful career as a make-up artist in Hollywood would just give that up to join two girls he hardly knows on a cross-country trip. Ok, yes, he felt about what happened to Iris, but I'm sorry, I just don't buy it.I also felt like the narrative followed the wrong character. Eva just isn't very interesting. I'm not sure that I would have found Iris to be all that more compelling, as she comes across as shallow and self-involved, but at least she has agency in her own life. Eva just sort of drifts along, and seems to almost willfully not understand what's going on around her.
And yet, by the end of the book, I understood where the title came from, and what Bloom was trying to do. It was a satisfying ending, if not a satisfying beginning or middle.
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LibraryThing member Jaylia3
Half sisters Eva and Iris don’t have parents they can depend on--Iris’s mother is dead, Eva’s mother abandoned her, and the father they share is happy to steal from them--but they do have dreams so off they head for Hollywood. Vividly written and set during the late 1930’s, Lucky Us has a
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unique almost deadpan tone, both humorous and serious, as it tells the story of the sisters’ journey west from Ohio and their lives in California. It’s entertaining without being lightweight, a story of fortitude and and tolerance. Show Less
LibraryThing member TooBusyReading
“My father's wife died. My mother said we should drive down to his place and see what might be in it for us.”
Despite that great beginning, I didn't like the first chapters of this book very much. It skipped around in time, so I had to pay careful attention to what was happening when. I can deal
Even in the beginning, although I didn't like most of the characters, I appreciated the quality of the writing, and soldiered on. As more characters were introduced and as I got to better know those first characters, I got caught up in the story. Some of the new characters were wonderful, and I loved Francisco, the convoluted lives. Nazi Germany, the war, and people suspected of being spies added some depth and historical placement to the book. The author is capable of saying quite a bit with few words.
“If I was going to sleep with a man, it would be a short Scotsman with one arm and half a face and a taste for morphine.”
By the time I finished the last page, I loved this book. Maybe it wasn't exactly what I was expecting, but that is not always a bad thing.
I was given an advance copy of this book for review. The quotes may have changed in the published edition.
Despite that great beginning, I didn't like the first chapters of this book very much. It skipped around in time, so I had to pay careful attention to what was happening when. I can deal
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with that if I care about the characters, but I didn't. Iris is a twit: foolish, unlikable, cruel. Well, she did take her half-sister with her when she thought she was headed for glory. And then I met Reenie, and I didn't like her, either. Even in the beginning, although I didn't like most of the characters, I appreciated the quality of the writing, and soldiered on. As more characters were introduced and as I got to better know those first characters, I got caught up in the story. Some of the new characters were wonderful, and I loved Francisco, the convoluted lives. Nazi Germany, the war, and people suspected of being spies added some depth and historical placement to the book. The author is capable of saying quite a bit with few words.
“If I was going to sleep with a man, it would be a short Scotsman with one arm and half a face and a taste for morphine.”
By the time I finished the last page, I loved this book. Maybe it wasn't exactly what I was expecting, but that is not always a bad thing.
I was given an advance copy of this book for review. The quotes may have changed in the published edition.
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LibraryThing member thewanderingjew
The book covers a decade in the life of Eva Acton from 1939-1949. However, it moves back and forth into the past and future, often extending and confusing the timeline for the reader. The story is set in the time frame of Hitler’s ascent to power in Europe, a time when America’s fear of
When Eva was 12 years old, she learned that her father’s second wife, Charlotte, had died. Her mom, Hazel, packed her up and brought her to his house and left her there. Once abandoned by her father, Edgar, she was now to be abandoned by her mother. However, in the process, she gained an older sister, Iris, who was to change her life. Her father introduced her as his niece but told Iris that Eva was now her younger sibling. They grew very close.
Iris was an aspiring actress. When Iris graduated from High School, she and Eva ran away to California so Iris could seek stardom. Eva, although very bright, never completed her own formal education. She spent most of her time catering to Iris’s needs as Iris became an up and coming actress. Iris’s innocence and naivete, coupled with her confused understanding of her own sexuality, led to an incident that eventually proved disastrous to her career. Remember, this was in the 40’s, not today when it is more acceptable to have alternate lifestyles.
A homosexual, make-up artist to the stars, named Francisco Diego, befriended Eva and her sister, and taking them under his wing, he drives them across country with their father, to resettle in New York. Through the contacts of his relatives, Francisco is able to get them jobs working in the wealthy Torelli household in Great Neck. Edgar becomes a butler and Iris is a governess. Eva helps out in the Brooklyn beauty salon run by Edgar’s relatives. She develops a business reading Tarot cards.
Edgar falls in love with Clara, a woman of color who performs at a jazz club, and Iris falls in love with Reenie, the cook in the Torelli’s home. The Torellis are portrayed as nice people who seem a bit unaffected by real life and who simply take their affluent lifestyle for granted. Reenie, the cook, is married to Gus Heitmann, a German, and Iris secretly devises a plan to get rid of him so she can be with Reenie. When he is deported to Germany, Reenie moves in with Edgar, Eva and Iris. Reenie wants a child and now fears she will not have one. Iris and Eva manage to attract a child from the Jewish orphanage, and without further thinking about the consequences, they take him home to live with them. Danny attaches himself to Reenie who becomes his mother.
When tragedy strikes, the book takes off in several directions. I was hard pressed to figure out “what it wanted to be when it grew up!” Eva’s father’s history is revealed. He is not who he has pretended to be for all her life. She discovers that Danny is not an only child. Her sister, injured and recovering in England, begins to write to Eva and these letters as well as letters from Gus, who also morphs into many different personalities and people, over the years, are expertly interwoven into the narrative.
The Jewish theme appears, almost out of the blue, and although there are painful scenes, there is a good deal of humor as well. The author tackles religion, race, sexuality and economics with honesty and cynicism as these topics relate to human nature. Somehow, although the characters are not stellar human beings who behave admirably, the author manages to make them sympathetic and likeable.
In the end, although it was not a book that I felt I could not put down, it was also not a book I could walk away from, and when I finished it, I was glad I had read it. It certainly engages the reader with all the different tangents it follows. Often it forces the reader to suspend disbelief. Yet it takes the characters to completion. They are fully formed, and although there are some unanswered questions when it concludes, most of the ends are tied up neatly for all of them. It almost feels like a very imaginative fable, a comic-tragedy about dysfunctional characters that manage to overcome all adversity through cunning, even unethical means, as they succeed and find love and happiness against all odds.
Still, I was not sure what the ultimate message of the author was meant to be and I will be left pondering that thought for awhile. Perhaps the fact that it makes you think is what really makes this book an interesting read.
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foreigners and the danger they might present, in a time of war, was coming to the forefront.When Eva was 12 years old, she learned that her father’s second wife, Charlotte, had died. Her mom, Hazel, packed her up and brought her to his house and left her there. Once abandoned by her father, Edgar, she was now to be abandoned by her mother. However, in the process, she gained an older sister, Iris, who was to change her life. Her father introduced her as his niece but told Iris that Eva was now her younger sibling. They grew very close.
Iris was an aspiring actress. When Iris graduated from High School, she and Eva ran away to California so Iris could seek stardom. Eva, although very bright, never completed her own formal education. She spent most of her time catering to Iris’s needs as Iris became an up and coming actress. Iris’s innocence and naivete, coupled with her confused understanding of her own sexuality, led to an incident that eventually proved disastrous to her career. Remember, this was in the 40’s, not today when it is more acceptable to have alternate lifestyles.
A homosexual, make-up artist to the stars, named Francisco Diego, befriended Eva and her sister, and taking them under his wing, he drives them across country with their father, to resettle in New York. Through the contacts of his relatives, Francisco is able to get them jobs working in the wealthy Torelli household in Great Neck. Edgar becomes a butler and Iris is a governess. Eva helps out in the Brooklyn beauty salon run by Edgar’s relatives. She develops a business reading Tarot cards.
Edgar falls in love with Clara, a woman of color who performs at a jazz club, and Iris falls in love with Reenie, the cook in the Torelli’s home. The Torellis are portrayed as nice people who seem a bit unaffected by real life and who simply take their affluent lifestyle for granted. Reenie, the cook, is married to Gus Heitmann, a German, and Iris secretly devises a plan to get rid of him so she can be with Reenie. When he is deported to Germany, Reenie moves in with Edgar, Eva and Iris. Reenie wants a child and now fears she will not have one. Iris and Eva manage to attract a child from the Jewish orphanage, and without further thinking about the consequences, they take him home to live with them. Danny attaches himself to Reenie who becomes his mother.
When tragedy strikes, the book takes off in several directions. I was hard pressed to figure out “what it wanted to be when it grew up!” Eva’s father’s history is revealed. He is not who he has pretended to be for all her life. She discovers that Danny is not an only child. Her sister, injured and recovering in England, begins to write to Eva and these letters as well as letters from Gus, who also morphs into many different personalities and people, over the years, are expertly interwoven into the narrative.
The Jewish theme appears, almost out of the blue, and although there are painful scenes, there is a good deal of humor as well. The author tackles religion, race, sexuality and economics with honesty and cynicism as these topics relate to human nature. Somehow, although the characters are not stellar human beings who behave admirably, the author manages to make them sympathetic and likeable.
In the end, although it was not a book that I felt I could not put down, it was also not a book I could walk away from, and when I finished it, I was glad I had read it. It certainly engages the reader with all the different tangents it follows. Often it forces the reader to suspend disbelief. Yet it takes the characters to completion. They are fully formed, and although there are some unanswered questions when it concludes, most of the ends are tied up neatly for all of them. It almost feels like a very imaginative fable, a comic-tragedy about dysfunctional characters that manage to overcome all adversity through cunning, even unethical means, as they succeed and find love and happiness against all odds.
Still, I was not sure what the ultimate message of the author was meant to be and I will be left pondering that thought for awhile. Perhaps the fact that it makes you think is what really makes this book an interesting read.
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LibraryThing member msbaba
Reading “Lucky Us,” by Amy Bloom, was such an enjoyable and life-affirming experience that when I finished it, I felt as if I’d taken some magical psychologically-uplifting tonic. The novel celebrates acceptance and resilience…and who can’t benefit from more of that? It’s a witty novel
None of us are wholly lucky, but all of us—through good attitude and pluck—can become lucky and lead lucky lives. For me, that was certainly the moral of this fable-like gem of a novel.
There is a lot of horrific misfortune that happens to the characters in “Lucky Us.” These misfortunes are communicated with blunt straight talk. After shocking us with the bad news, the author’s generally shifts the focus to the time just past the trauma when the character has dealt with it and has managed to somehow get through and past it. The book employs a lot of humor and wit to help gloss over the pain. Virtually all the characters are adept at seizing opportunity—no matter how unethical it might be in the greater scheme of things—to get past the bad luck, improve their lot in life, and reinvent themselves. As I said, the book is squarely about resilience.
This is a book where life takes on the tone of a tragicomic romp. We follow a quirky and eccentric cast of characters through a decade (1939-1949) of madcap misfortunes and adventures. It isn’t until we are midway through the book before we realize that we are reading a novel about the Jewish WWII experience told from an American perspective. Despite all the literature that’s been written about the Holocaust, Amy Bloom manages to bring something wholly unique and remarkable to this crowded arena. At one point in the novel when the main character finds herself gawking at an orphanage for Jewish children, she says: “These were my people: the abandoned, the unloved, the phenomenally unlucky.”
In addition to the Holocaust, the book also brings humor, love and acceptance to issues of racism and homosexuality prevalent during these WWII years.
The cover art for the novel is a lovely metaphor for the book: a zebra, balancing on the back of a lion, that’s balancing on a tightrope stretched across some fantasyland of a stage festooned with tulips…and in the background are puffy clouds in a blue sky and the jewel of planet Earth. Yep! Isn’t that a great mind-blowing metaphor for life?
In some ways, the book reads like a tragicomic fable about a band of con-artist-type characters who overcome adversity through shrewd street smarts. I’m not going to give you a detailed overview of the plot like I might do with many other novels. The scope of this novel is just too broad and there is an incredible lot of detail. The events are not revealed in any straight linear fashion. The overarching thread of the plot deals with what it means to be and create family. Much of the fun of reading this novel can be found in the discovery of these details as the author chooses to reveal them through the course of the book. I don’t want to spoil any of the magic or delight in figuring this all out and putting the details together. The chapters are mainly narrated in the first person from the perspective of a single character, Eva Acton. It starts when Eva is 12 and abandoned by her mother. It ends when Eva is 22 and has arrived at a place in her life that is full of some degree of stability, support, and love.
Bloom is certainly a master stylist with a keen insight into the human condition. I was not surprised to find out that in private life she is a psychotherapist as well as a writer. This is her fourth novel. She’s won a National Book Award nomination (1993) for the novel “Come to Me;” the O. Henry Award (1994) for the story "Semper Fidelis;" and the National Book Critics Circle Award nomination (2000) for the collection of short stories entitled “A Blind Man Can See How Much I Love You.” Personally, I’d love to see this book win some kind of prestigious literary award. In my estimation, it’s a lovely gem. It’s humorous, shocking, endearing, and profound. We’re all quiet lucky, indeed, to have a novelist of Amy Bloom’s skill and emotional depth to write novels that inform us so insightfully and delightfully about the human condition.
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full of empathy and wisdom. It’s a novel that teach us how we can make light of, get through, and move forward past all the painful traumas and tragedies that life throws in our paths. None of us are wholly lucky, but all of us—through good attitude and pluck—can become lucky and lead lucky lives. For me, that was certainly the moral of this fable-like gem of a novel.
There is a lot of horrific misfortune that happens to the characters in “Lucky Us.” These misfortunes are communicated with blunt straight talk. After shocking us with the bad news, the author’s generally shifts the focus to the time just past the trauma when the character has dealt with it and has managed to somehow get through and past it. The book employs a lot of humor and wit to help gloss over the pain. Virtually all the characters are adept at seizing opportunity—no matter how unethical it might be in the greater scheme of things—to get past the bad luck, improve their lot in life, and reinvent themselves. As I said, the book is squarely about resilience.
This is a book where life takes on the tone of a tragicomic romp. We follow a quirky and eccentric cast of characters through a decade (1939-1949) of madcap misfortunes and adventures. It isn’t until we are midway through the book before we realize that we are reading a novel about the Jewish WWII experience told from an American perspective. Despite all the literature that’s been written about the Holocaust, Amy Bloom manages to bring something wholly unique and remarkable to this crowded arena. At one point in the novel when the main character finds herself gawking at an orphanage for Jewish children, she says: “These were my people: the abandoned, the unloved, the phenomenally unlucky.”
In addition to the Holocaust, the book also brings humor, love and acceptance to issues of racism and homosexuality prevalent during these WWII years.
The cover art for the novel is a lovely metaphor for the book: a zebra, balancing on the back of a lion, that’s balancing on a tightrope stretched across some fantasyland of a stage festooned with tulips…and in the background are puffy clouds in a blue sky and the jewel of planet Earth. Yep! Isn’t that a great mind-blowing metaphor for life?
In some ways, the book reads like a tragicomic fable about a band of con-artist-type characters who overcome adversity through shrewd street smarts. I’m not going to give you a detailed overview of the plot like I might do with many other novels. The scope of this novel is just too broad and there is an incredible lot of detail. The events are not revealed in any straight linear fashion. The overarching thread of the plot deals with what it means to be and create family. Much of the fun of reading this novel can be found in the discovery of these details as the author chooses to reveal them through the course of the book. I don’t want to spoil any of the magic or delight in figuring this all out and putting the details together. The chapters are mainly narrated in the first person from the perspective of a single character, Eva Acton. It starts when Eva is 12 and abandoned by her mother. It ends when Eva is 22 and has arrived at a place in her life that is full of some degree of stability, support, and love.
Bloom is certainly a master stylist with a keen insight into the human condition. I was not surprised to find out that in private life she is a psychotherapist as well as a writer. This is her fourth novel. She’s won a National Book Award nomination (1993) for the novel “Come to Me;” the O. Henry Award (1994) for the story "Semper Fidelis;" and the National Book Critics Circle Award nomination (2000) for the collection of short stories entitled “A Blind Man Can See How Much I Love You.” Personally, I’d love to see this book win some kind of prestigious literary award. In my estimation, it’s a lovely gem. It’s humorous, shocking, endearing, and profound. We’re all quiet lucky, indeed, to have a novelist of Amy Bloom’s skill and emotional depth to write novels that inform us so insightfully and delightfully about the human condition.
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LibraryThing member PrettyTarantula
I really, really tried to finish reading this book but I just couldn't do it. The writing was horribly choppy, disjointed and at times read like stereo instructions. I wasn't connecting with any of the characters, nor did I care about their story or what would happen to them. From the title of the
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book and the awesome cover I was expecting something better. I received this book for free from LibraryThing. Show Less
LibraryThing member vwinsloe
How can Amy Bloom say so much in so few pages? In his blurb on the book jacket, Michael Cunningham says she has "sentences that should be in a sentence museum." Amen to that.
From her first intriguing sentences to the end of this short book, Amy Bloom trusts the reader to grasp everything she is
And a tale it is. Like her previous novel [Away], [Lucky Us] has elements of a tall tale. A bit over the top, not quite believable, but effective in transporting the reader to that time and place. [Lucky Us] considers the nature of family, of jewishness, and of luck in a way that will make the reader reconsider his own.
From her first intriguing sentences to the end of this short book, Amy Bloom trusts the reader to grasp everything she is
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saying without belaboring any points. Her historical references are woven into the fabric of the novel, without exposition, and every word carries the tale along.And a tale it is. Like her previous novel [Away], [Lucky Us] has elements of a tall tale. A bit over the top, not quite believable, but effective in transporting the reader to that time and place. [Lucky Us] considers the nature of family, of jewishness, and of luck in a way that will make the reader reconsider his own.
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LibraryThing member Micheller7
Lucky Us, Amy Bloom's newest novel is about Eva, the young untrained tarot card reader, abandoned by her mother, and a cast of characters that make up her "family." Quirky and a bit preposterous, populated by lovable characters who are and are not biological family, but certainly kin. It is Eva's
You must suspend belief on some large plot items (i.e. the taking of Danny from his orphanage, with absolutely no repercussions, and believe me there are other examples), while on the other hand you will cry a few tears as Eva and Danny talk about his story. The tale meanders from Ohio to Hollywood, to Brooklyn and Great Neck, Long Island. Best line, when Eva at age 21 meets the mother who abandoned her at age 12: I wouldn't piss on you if you were on fire.
Overall, you will keep reading because you will care about Eva and want to know how things turn out for her. In the end it is sweet.
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story to tell, augmented by letters from London and Germany, both sent and unsent, written by some of the other characters. Pay attention to the dates on the letters, the chronology can be confusing. Occasionally, the author reverts to third person. You must suspend belief on some large plot items (i.e. the taking of Danny from his orphanage, with absolutely no repercussions, and believe me there are other examples), while on the other hand you will cry a few tears as Eva and Danny talk about his story. The tale meanders from Ohio to Hollywood, to Brooklyn and Great Neck, Long Island. Best line, when Eva at age 21 meets the mother who abandoned her at age 12: I wouldn't piss on you if you were on fire.
Overall, you will keep reading because you will care about Eva and want to know how things turn out for her. In the end it is sweet.
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LibraryThing member cdyankeefan
Lucky Us tells the story of Eva and Iris half sisters who become aware of each other in a somewhat unconventional manner. The girls desire to leave their small Ohio town and emotionally distant father. The girls journey initially takes them to California where an unfortunate incident squashes Eva's
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blooming movie career the novel chronicles the girls lives through adulthood and their life changing experiences. I really tried to like this but I was left cold. I couldn't connect with any of the characters and was glad when I finally finished it Show Less
LibraryThing member sunshine909
I found this book very disjointed and difficult to follow, As a matter of fact I started over 3 times hoping a new attitude would help; but it did not. It was often hard to know which character was being described from one chapter to the next I am not going to retell the story line since it has
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already been done several times. If I had to pick a favorite character it would probably be Eva because I felt sorry for her. She had no goals and was always getting dumped on. I cannot recommend this book. I am glad I'm finished and can move on to something else. Show Less
LibraryThing member TheLostEntwife
LUCKY US by Amy Bloom starts with the following line: ""My father's wife died. My mother said we should drive down to his place and see what might be in it for us." Unfortunately, things did not stay with that same level of awesomeness. What I was pitched by the synopsis was a story that involved
Read the rest of this review at The Lost Entwife on August 10, 2014.
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two sisters stumbling through life together. What I got was two sisters thrown together until something happened that tears them apart and the rest of the story we only really get to see the life of the one sister - Eva - the sister who, in spite of Bloom's best efforts, was somewhat of a wet-rag type of character.Read the rest of this review at The Lost Entwife on August 10, 2014.
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LibraryThing member KayDances
I found this book hard to follow and the plot and purpose totally escaped me. If not for my book club I would not have finished it. I would have tossed it after the first 50 pages. Gratuitous lesbian sex orgy did not entice me to finish it. Only perserverance did. I found the characters disjointed
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and only fractionally connected which led to a somewhat belabored ending of a "blended" type family. Would not recommend. Show Less
Awards
Los Angeles Public Library Best of the Year (Fiction — 2014)
Language
Original publication date
2014
ISBN
9781628993257