Alice's Review: Born Under a Lucky Moon

Summary:  Born Under a Lucky Moon is the tale of two very important (but distant) years in the lives of Jeannie Thompson and her (embarrassing, crazy) colorful family members to whom "things" just seem to happen. From the Great Lakes of Michigan to Los Angeles and back again, it is a story of surprise marriages, a renegade granny, a sprinkler system cursed by the gods, and myriad other factors Jeannie blames for her full-tilt, out-of-control existence. But it's also about good surprises—like an unexpected proposal that might just open Jeannie's eyes to her real place among the people she loves most in the world . . . the same ones she ran far away from to begin with.

Review:  Right off the bat, I want you all to know I loved this book. I loved the setting, the characters, the story. I love that Ms. Precious kicked it old school and set half the story in 1986. I love that it centered around a family, specifically sisters. I loved that I laughed out loud so many times, in public, on the train crowded with people giving me odd looks.  I loved the title of the novel.  I loved that it was about love.


From the beginning, Ms. Precious lets us know where we’re going. I have to admit she had me at this: 

Like every relationship in every family, this story doesn’t reside in the black and white of right and wrong. It resides in the gray area called love.

Yeah, I was hooked. I dived into the story of Jeannie and her sisters head first. I loved the wacky Thompson family adventures. From unintentional fires to a grandmother with devious intentions to the exasperated police officer, Marv who puts up with them, this story had everything.

It bounces seamlessly from 2006 to 1986 without missing a step.  I enjoyed how Ms. Precious revealed the past to explain the future.  Truth be told, it was done so well the stories could have been told separately, one without the other would have made a great novel. 

There was so many nuggets of goodness in this novel. I loved Evan’s Milwaukee metaphor. You'll have to read that one for yourself.  However I will leave you this from Rose Thompson, Jeannie's mom, about family and love...

One thing I do know for certain is that no matter how much you kids complain about each other, you all drop everything to be there when someone in the family is in trouble. I think a family is measured by how it shows its love. Some people think that love is like a pie, that the more people you have to serve, the smaller everyone’s piece is. But that’s not the way it is. The more love you give, the more you create. My parents and your father’s parents poured their love into us. We poured that love into you. Elizabeth will pour that love into her baby and so on. Everyone has human weaknesses, and problems, but those will come and go during life. Love goes on nonstop forever.

Born Under a Lucky Moon is the kind of novel I will go back to:  to read again, to laugh with the Thomspons, to fall in love, to appreciate family in all their crazy looniness, even mine.

Final Take:4/5