I enjoyed this book but it was confusing for me at the beginning but as I read it became clear! Friendship between the rich and the poor. That’s the question.

The Fortunate Ones
BY Ed Tarkington

This was an exceptional story that really grabbed me from the beginning. The writing is superb, and a great character driven story I really enjoyed. The story is centered on Charlie Boykin, a son of a pregnant runaway, who was given an opportunity of a lifetime by being accepted into one of Nashvilles’s elite and most prestigious schools. In this story, Ed Tarkington writes about a great coming-of-age story that highlights wealth and privilege, friendships and loyalties, morality and corruption, in a façade we are all drawn in to belong and feel accepted.


This was an irresistible read that drew me in to the complex cost of becoming one of the rich and powerful. Tarkington is truly a masterful storyteller with a keen eye on characters and conflicted emotions. Well done!!

I was provided a copy by Algonquin Books/ Workman Press. My reviews are my own.

"It was just Arch. He had mastered my heart almost from the first second. He was the pillar upon which my entire identity rested. After what he shared with me...after he'd called me his brother..I loved him, as I have never loved anyone or anything before..."

This honest revelation from our protagonist Charlie is just one of the reasons The Fortunate Ones by Ed Tarkington is a marvel to read and a lesson on the highs and lows of the rich and privilege in this world.

Charlie is a kid from the poor side of town raised by a single mom. Through actions from his mom he receives a scholarship to a private school where he meets the wealthy Archie and his opulent lifestyle.

Some may say Archie took Charlie under his wing and provided him with a life free of worry about bills, loneliness and the future. Personally, I felt Archie groomed Charlie to be his person no matter how much he screwed up, no matter how much a bigot he was or how vile he treated others.

There is a point we all reach with someone in our life where we say enough already. The question for Charlie is will he ever reach that point with Archie. Should he even reach that point? Does he owe everything to him? It is a fascinating journey of gratitude and regret. Archie is symbolic of most politicians these days and Charlie is understandably seduced by all the privilege granted to the rich.

This novel is written with such nuance. There is much to decipher of the inner workings of the characters. I did not always agree with the choices made by the characters but I appreciated the writer's ability to make me understand their motives. This book is perfect for book club discussions and, more importantly, self refection.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Because I read so much, there are plots that I tend to see repeated in books. None more popular than the poor kid who gets dropped into rich society and learns that all rich people have secrets. The storyline has to have an added element of interest for me to not feel bored (the recent book, “White Ivy” by Susie Yang comes to mind). However, “The Fortunate Ones,” written by Ed Tarkington, stuck to a pretty safe script.

Poor kid, Charlie, comes from the wrong side of the tracks and ends up going to an elite private school in Nashville. He becomes friends with a boy named Archer Creigh, who serves as his emissary to the world of the uber-rich. Charlie learns that the wealthy have just as many problems as the poor. The book follows him through adulthood and shows how he manages to survive in an environment where lying and secrecy is the name of the game.

Because this book stuck to a pretty tried and true plot, I didn’t find any events shocking or surprising. This predictability left the story feeling really flat to me. Also, some of the most exciting or interesting plot points happened off the page – so just when I felt the story get a little juicy, it was passed by pretty quickly. I don’t want to give anything away, but the book would have benefitted greatly from leaning in to the more salacious plot points.

This book is a three-star read for me because there wasn’t anything particularly bad about it (but nothing amazing either). I didn’t connect to any of the characters and wasn’t too sad when the book was over. However, I think Tarkington could write more successful books in the future if he came up with a storyline that hasn’t been overdone already. His writing is straightforward and totally readable, so I can see why this book would have some fans. It just didn’t work for me, unfortunately.

While at work, telling yet another family the news they never wanted to hear, Charlie sees that his old friend Arch Creigh has died on the news. Bringing back old memories, Charlie recounts his life’s story and how he came to know Arch.

You could say this book has a Great Gatsby feel to it, but I also think it’s a great story of its own. Charlie Boykin’s life starts off pretty meager, living on the poorer side of the river. He’s never met his father, his mother ran away from home when she became pregnant and moved in with her cousin in Tennessee. Going to a predominately Black school and was picked on, only finding protection in his friend/neighbor Terrence.

When Charlie’s mom gets him a chance to go to a private all-boys school, Charlie’s life begins to make a complete 180. The relationships and opportunities he receives from this change are what make this book.

I really enjoyed reading this book and following Charlie’s life. As far as characters go I really liked Charlie even when I didn’t agree with some of the choices he made. I liked how the author decided to start with Charlie as an adult looking back on his life and not just jumping into the story.

Thank you, Algonquin Books for allowing me to be a part of this blog tour and sending me a physical copy of the book.

Ed Tarkington's novel The Fortunate Ones opens with Charlie Boykin fulfilling his duty as a casualty notifications officer at Fort Campbell, on his way to break the news to a family that their son had died in service to his country.

While there, he sees on the family television that popular Southern Republican Senator Arch Creigh had committed suicide. Charlie is stunned by this news, and the story moves to how a young Charlie, son to a single teenage mother living in the working class section of Nashville, ended up best friends with Arch, the golden boy of Nashville.

Young Charlie was routinely beaten up after school, being the smallest of the few white students at his school. His mom managed to get him a scholarship to the elite prep school, where all of the privileged scions are educated.

Charlie meets Arch Creigh, who takes Charlie under his wing and introduces him to his best friend Jamie Haltom and Jamie's twin sister Vanessa. Charlie is entranced by Vanessa, but she and Arch have a relationship. Charlie becomes involved in the lives of these three, spending all of his free time with them, and leaving his lifelong best friend Terrence behind back home.

Charlie becomes seduced and captivated by the lifestyle of his new friends and their parents. Arch's father died when Arch was young, so Jamie's dad became a surrogate father to him, a role he seemed willing to assume in Charlie's life as well. Jamie's mother drinks heavily.

When Charlie's mom is offered a position as Jamie's mother's personal assistant, he and his mom move into a guest house on the Halstom property. Things are going well for Charlie and his mom, they have moved up in the world.

Secrets and lies abound, and the moral of the story is told by Charlie on the day of his fateful interview at his new school-"If not for that day, I would have never have left East Nashville for Belle Meade, nor would I have understood how much the conditions of life in one world depends on the whims of those who live in another."

The Fortunate Ones is called "a Southern Gatsby", and that is an apt comparison. Much like Charlie is entranced by his new life, Ed Tarkington entrances the reader by bringing us into this world of wealth and privilege, filled with interesting and flawed people. I felt like I was dropped in this Nashville scene. Fans who are missing the writing of Pat Conroy have found a worthy successor. I recommend this one.

The Fortunate Ones takes place in Nashville, Tennessee. The book does an amazing job showing you self awareness and how the white elite are in the south.
Charlie has had a pretty rough childhood. He grew up in a poor area in Nashville with his mother. At age 15, Charlie's mother got pregnant and was disowned by her super rich family. Charlie is none the wiser about everything going on around him. He just goes with the flow. His mom and aunt both are bar workers, and he has a black best friend named Terrence who always has Charlie's back.

Life for Charlie starts to hit the fish just got real button and he doesn't know how to feel about it. He also has no idea what's in store for him. Charlie's mother gets him a scholarship to the prestigious school named Yeatman (which is an all boys school). This school is full of everything you think it's full of (let's keep it PG!). Charlie soon realizes how deep he gets sucked into the underworld of the elite. Where racism and wrong doings are well and alive. Where his "relationship" with his best friend and secret lover takes him down a dark road.

This book is purely brilliant filled with LGBTQ representation and other issues still relevant in today's society. Huge thanks to Algonquin, Workman Pub, and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Very well written story that I throughly enjoyed! I loved the authors writing and would definitely recommend to anyone asking for a good coming of age book!

The Fortunate Ones is not a book I would typically pick up, but Algonquin Books sent me a copy and I’m so glad they did. This is a fabulous book.

This is the coming of age story of Charlie Boykin. Born to a teenage mom , he lives with his mom and aunt in poorer side of Nashville. When the opportunity to attend an elite boys school for high school, Charlie is taken from his current world into the world of status, money, and privilege. The relationships and experiences he gains from this ‘elite’ world is what undertones this story. Charlie is stuck between wanting to belong to this new world while also trying to rationalize the stark difference between his ‘before’ and ‘after’.

Tarkington has put together a brilliant display of the decay of the Southern White elite. He highlights the hypocrisy that takes place within this ‘world’ and perfectly shows Charlies internal conflict of his caused by his self-awareness and the struggle to justify his good fortunate.

As an outsider it’s his, Charlie’s, want to belong within this new world that blinds him to aspects of this new world. As we go through the book though, Charlie’s growth is evident and we see his guilt and regrets of hindsight. We also see his revaluation of what privilege has brought for him.

The cliques and type casted characters that Tarkington places within this book are also perfectly aligned with the imaginary of your traditional ‘Southern Elite’. Normally this would make the book slightly unoriginal, but the way Tarkington has implemented these cliques into the story, help to build up narrative he’s trying to paint. His relastic depicts of how anyone would act during these situations really drives home the point: If you were offered a golden path to success wouldn’t you take it?

This is really a fantastic story and it’s a great read to start 2020 with. This book is out now!

I hope you enjoyed my thoughts on The Fortunate Ones. Huge thank you to Oceanview for my eARC for my honest opinion. If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my instagram @speakingof_books.

Special thanks to Algonquin Books for including me on the blog tour for The Fortunate Ones and for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review. 4 stars.

I'm quite conflicted with how I feel about this book because overall it was very enjoyable. Tarkington's writing makes for easy reading and I sped through the story in a little less than two days because my mind wouldn't stop coming back to it. I was captivated in the first-half of the book and I was invested in Charlie's coming-of-age story; however, my feelings started to turn lukewarm in the second-half. I've been trying to figure out why and I think it's because I expected more--more from the story, more from the characters, just... More? But let's take a look at what I loved first:

This was my first book by Tarkington so I had no idea what to expect, but I loved his writing. I wouldn't have been mad if the story was longer because I honestly could've just kept reading as his style flowed so easily off the page. The story is simply but beautifully written and I thought Tarkington did a great job in capturing the nostalgic and somewhat tragic tone of Charlie's story through captivating and compelling prose. What surprisingly worked was the first person point of view as it made for a more intimate experience as we relive the past through both Charlie's rose-coloured glasses and the jarring perspective and realisation of age and experience. Reading his story sometimes felt kind of dreamlike and "summer-hazy", which I thought was quite fitting for how Charlie perceived his life at the time. Hands down, 10/10 for the writing.

This is a very character driven story and honestly, I didn't think I'd be interested in reading about the privileged lives of the white and obscenely rich Southern families, but with Charlie at the helm I was very engaged. I think this would've been a completely different story had he not been the main protagonist and narrator but as it is, I found myself liking him. Charlie starts life in one of the poorer areas of Nashville until he wins a scholarship to Yeatman, a prestigious all-boys school that's full of the children of the elite Southern families and that regularly produces "good ole boys". Charlie becomes immediately besotted with Archer, his assigned "big brother", who introduces him to a life of easy privilege and fortune, and from that moment, Charlie's life is forever changed. He quickly becomes 'friends' with Jamie and falls in love with Arch's girl and Jamie's twin, Vanessa. Yet as Charlie falls deeper into this world of opulence, the deceitful, manipulative, racist, and mysognistic natures of the people who he thought he knew best, sends him into a tailspin that propels his adult life into a very different direction. In the telling, Charlie reflects on his naïveté and ignorance, and his willingness to deny everything that was wrong about this society that thrived on the misfortune and servitude of the lower-classes, for the sake of basking in the glow of the fortunate. While his past actions frustrated me at times, I still couldn't find it in myself to 'hate' his character--I just pitied him as I watched him struggle with his understanding of the wrongness of this society that he so badly wanted to be accepted in and a part of.

Other than Charlie, we're introduced to the main cast who stay with us throughout the story and I wasn't really a fan of any of them. They were, to me, wholly unlikable and were not only terrible people but the worst kinds of "friends" in that they weren't really friends at all. I do think that at some point they did love Charlie in their own twisted way, but ultimately their relationship with him extended in so far as it benefitted them. And yet despite that, I found it didn't affect my reading experience in the way unlikeable characters usually would (especially when there were so many of them). I have to say though that throughout this read I never felt that Tarkington was trying to get me to sympathise or empathise with these 'poor rich white privileged people', and maybe that's unfeeling of me, but they're painted in such a damning light that there was no chance for me to feel otherwise.

While it was easy for me to understand how Charlie was easily influenced as a teenager who's introduced to this bright and glamorous life, I wanted more from his character as an adult. Towards the end of the second and mainly the third part of the story, I was left feeling somewhat dissatisfied with Charlie's actions (or lack thereof, and also maybe I'm just projecting). I couldn't understand his continued love for Arch and Vanessa despite having intimate knowledge of their true ugly natures. At the same time, I felt that the ending was rushed and there were hints at things that happened that were then left unexplained, especially in the lead up to the 'shocking news' that we receive at the beginning, which of course we come "full circle" to at the end. It was confusing and ultimately I felt that Charlie's story was built up for nothing to actually really change. But no spoilers, so I'll stop here! Despite an ending that was unfortunately underwhelming, I have a feeling this story will stick with me a while.

Although the story took a different direction than I expected (or maybe hoped), overall, I was very pleasantly surprised to find how much I genuinely enjoyed reading Charlie's story and I think it's one that will stay on my mind for a while. The biggest winner for me though was Tarkington's writing because it was exceptionally done and the captivating and compelling prose makes me want to read more of his work as soon as I can!

The Fortunate Ones by Ed Tarkington is novel sharing the story of a young man , Charlie, from a a working class background who finds himself attending an elite private school. The writing is beautiful and develops complicated 3-dimensional characters. This narrator is a bit of Nick from the Great Gatsby combined with a bit of Dan from Gossip Girl. Charlie sees himself as an outsider, yet is so desperate to be an insider of the glamorous lifestyle that he is able to ignore racist, sexist, homophobic, classist behavior of the elite. The author is able to artfully highlight Charlie's privilege and ignorance without being distracting. The relationships between the characters, especially Charlie and his friend Archer, were compelling even though they were incredibly flawed. The secrets revealed between characters completely capture your interest and wanting more. Overall this was a memorable book that I recommend for those who enjoy literary fiction exploring themes of privilege, belonging, and what loyalty means.

Many thanks to the publisher Algonquin Books and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

The Fortunate Ones by Ed Tarkington.
I loved this book! ALL THE STARS. I easily found myself absorbed in Charlie’s story. He is the son of a young mother and finds himself being given a scholarship to an elite prep school usually reserved for the rich kids or athletes. Charlie is neither.
However, his first day he is assigned a big brother, Arch, who takes him under his wing. Charlie lives the lifestyle he has only dreamed about, but at what costs?
This book explored many relationships. It is definitely worth the read.

Thank you to @algonquinbooks, @NetGalley and @edtarkington for the #gifted copy of the book

4.5 stars

A Southern exposé in a certain way, with grace and pain wrapped between frankly beautiful written pages. I was not expecting to love this story of a white man in the South, but there are some kernels here and no one was more surprised to find them than me.

Characters: ★★★★ 1/2
Writing: ★★★★★
Pacing: ★★★★★

For those who know me here on Goodreads and in the book community, you might be thinking this really isn't my type of read. (You're totally right) A book written by a white dude, about a white dude in Nashville, Tennessee, with lots of white privilege and classism?? Amy, come on.

Well I had to eat my hat with this one, folks, because this was stunning.

Beautifully written, poignantly described, and filled with an unbelievably delicate balance of self-awareness and reflection on the hypocrisy and decay of the Southern white elite, The Fortunate Ones is a read that will no doubt be a focus of discussion in 2021.

Charlie Boykin grows up in a poorer part of Nashville with his single mother, Bonnie. Bonnie got pregnant at 15 and was thrown out of her rich family's house and told never to return. Charlie never knows anything different—his Aunt Sunny is a bar singer, his mother is a cocktail waitress at a bar nicknamed The Divorcee, and his best friend, Terrence, is a Black kid with a lot of heart who looks out for Charlie.

Then Charlie's life dramatically changes in high school. His mother has managed to snag him a need-based scholarship to Yeatman, an all-boy prep school known for housing Nashville's elite children with ties to old money and the Old South. Charlie has no idea what he's in for.

In a move that should feel derivative of The Great Gatsby but manages to stand alone and supersede it, Charlie's life as the "outsider" passes as he reflects on, admires, craves, and worms his way into the glamorous and decaying life of Nashville's rich. His tie to his close friend and occasional secret lover, Archer Creigh, becomes one of unbalanced love and manipulation as Charlie falls deeper and deeper into a world that he's aware is wrong, racist, and fueled by the pain of the lower classes—and yet the lure of the glitz is too much for him to ignore.

Spanning decades and locations, The Fortunate Ones feels like an epic wrapped in a mere 300 pages. Charlie is—surprisingly, for me as a woman from a lower middle class background—a likeable narrator to follow. He's both aware of his privilege and yet aware enough of his ignorance to own up to his blindness in certain arenas.

The people of color in this novel are marginalized and relegated to stereotypical Southern roles, and we as readers are uncomfortably aware of that boundary line even as young Charlie and old Charlie miss most of it. The women of this novel are trapped in the gossamer cage of the trophy, the accessory, the beautiful—and while Charlie catches some of that and misses most of it, Tarkington's skill as an author highlights it for us despite his own narrator's ignorance. I found that extremely well done.

Another element to this story was its fringe revelations in the handling of its gay and lesbian characters. In a society where sexuality is strictly forced into a heteronormative binary, Tarkington's way of highlighting that rot and hypocrisy by having Archer's sexuality bleed through the edges of the page was fascinating, along with Charlie's interactions with a mentor figure who exists as a lesbian amongst this world of "good old boys." I really can't talk about this element without spoilers, but wanted to highlight that it's here for those who would automatically dismiss the story as not including that element. (I totally did that, honestly, so I'm raising my own hand.)

What a beautiful, lingering piece of fiction.

Thank you to Algonquin Books for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book of 2021 that I read, and wow what a start to the reading year. I have read Ed Tarkington’s first novel Only Love Can Break Your Heart, which I loved, so was excited when the publisher sent me a copy. This book surpassed all my hopes, it was just so good.

We meet our protagonist Charlie as a soldier, as he is delivering the hard news to a military family there son has died while serving. As he goes through all the steps he is mandated to take, he notices on the television, a breaking news story, that sets up the entire novel.

We go back to Tennessee when Charlie was a boy living in a poor section of Nashville. His mother fed up of how he is being bullied gets his son a scholarship to a prominent private school where this will forever change the trajectory of his and his mother’s life. Charlie meets a core groups of friends Archer, Jamie and Vanessa who will come in out of his life many times.

I really don’t want to give much of this story, I just want you to immerse yourselves in Tarkington’s writing. I do not tend to highlight or take notes while reading, butI found myself highlighting so many passages. Tarkington writes lush descriptions and insights of the town and the characters of this story. It was lovely to spend time in this world that the author created. I highly recommend this book, I don’t think you will regret this.

Thank you Algonquin for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I began this book, but I was so pleased to end up really enjoying it. 'The Fortunate Ones' is a thoughtful musing on privilege and politics, and on the people we become. I loved the chance to follow Charlie's friendships and loves from the beginning and watch the ways in which each character spiraled into their own stories, all eventually reaching back to find each other again. The whole book feels very Gatsby-esque in the ways that grief and longing hang over the entirety of the book, and in the deep love Charlie has for both Arch and the others of the story. The story that Tarkington has written feels vividly real and immensely relevant. I found it to be incredibly thought-provoking and a really interesting story.

The story of Charlie, and what happens when is he suddenly thrust into high society Nashville and is taken underneath the wing of Arch, a wealthy upperclassmen. Obviously, the shine doesn’t last long. It’s the story of pride, family, and trying to rise above one’s station.

I’m guessing a lot of people will love this, but for me it was too polite a look at privilege.

I'm spending New Years Day in my home library curled up in my favorite comfy chair and devouring this character-based novel. I love the writing style as I can get fully immersed in the story and it just flows. The characters are well-written and the story is emotional. As I'm finishing up the epilogue I have the sensation of having lived a life in their shoes. The hopes and dreams, and highs and lows, the joys and sadness, the flaws and imperfections, and the choices and paths of the characters were mine for a few hours. That to me is the hallmark of an amazing story and I hope you read it and enjoy it too.

Disclaimer: I received this book and earc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: The Fortunate Ones

Author: Ed Tarkington

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 3.5/5

Recommended For...: Historical fiction fans

Publication Date: January 5, 2021

Publisher: Algonquin Books

Pages: 320

Recommended Age: 16+ (sexual content, romance, law breaking behavior)

Synopsis: When Charlie Boykin was young, he thought his life with his single mother on the working-class side of Nashville was perfectly fine. But when his mother arranges for him to be admitted as a scholarship student to an elite private school, he is suddenly introduced to what the world can feel like to someone cushioned by money. That world, he discovers, is an almost irresistible place where one can bend—and break—rules and still end up untarnished. As he gets drawn into a friendship with a charismatic upperclassman, Archer Creigh, and an affluent family that treats him like an adopted son, Charlie quickly adapts to life in the upper echelons of Nashville society. Under their charming and alcohol-soaked spell, how can he not relax and enjoy it all—the lack of anxiety over money, the easy summers spent poolside at perfectly appointed mansions, the lavish parties, the freedom to make mistakes knowing that everything can be glossed over or fixed?
 
But over time, Charlie is increasingly pulled into covering for Archer’s constant deceits and his casual bigotry. At what point will the attraction of wealth and prestige wear off enough for Charlie to take a stand—and will he?
 
The Fortunate Ones is an immersive, elegantly written story that conveys both the seductiveness of this world and the corruption of the people who see their ascent to the top as their birthright.

Review: Overall, I really liked this book. I really liked the story and was captivated from start to finish. The book was well done, the character development was amazing, and the book did well to not drone on about the politics.

However, I did feel like the book did need some work for the world building. I also felt like there were moments where the pacing did slow down a lot.

Verdict: It was good!

I picked this book up to read the first few pages because I wasn't into my current read. What began as a few pages, turned into the prologue, then the first couple chapters and when I looked up 40ish minutes later, I was on page 60. I couldn't get enough of this story. I read the whole book in two days and it was a marvelous story. This was on its way to being a 5 star read and while the writing was superb, I think there was a missed opportunity. (I will explain that in a moment.)

Charlie Boykin grew up in pretty meager beginnings. He never met his father, and his mother ran away from home for getting pregnant before she was married. She moved into an apartment with her cousin and raised Charlie with the help of neighbors. He went to a mostly Black school and was picked on, but found protection in Terrence. Charlie had a good life and then one day, the course of everything he had ever known changed with his acceptance into one of the most prestigious schools in the state. It is the relationships he forms here that underscore the theme of this book.

So before I get into what I want to say regarding my "criticism", I want to make it known that I loved this book. I really, really did. I was absolutely riveted and couldn't wait to get back to this story every time I had to set it down. If you love coming of age stories, there is no doubt that you should read this. I also think this would also make a fantastic book club book because there is a lot of discussion worthy topics. As Charlie got older, I grew increasingly frustrated with him and the last third of the book is where I wanted more. In my opinion, the author missed an opportunity with Charlie's silence in standing by almost everything his best friend, Archer did. While I don't disagree that the "fortunate ones" in life suffer, I don't know what other term to use but the book being a little 'tone deaf'? I feel like that sounds unnecessarily harsh because I did really love this book, but with all the suffering of minority communities (which has more of a spotlight this year I was less receptive to a story about the plight of rich, white people. I'm struggling with how to explain it, but I wanted Charlie to dig in a little harder and maybe I'm projecting on to him what I hope I would have done in his place? Maybe Charlie wasn't that person after all. But I felt his conscience was and I wanted that awareness spoken out loud and I wanted Terrance more a part of the story than he was.

I think many will enjoy (as I surely did), but I would be interested to see if anyone who reads this book (and then my review) share the same feelings. Were you left wanting more?

Thank you to Algonquin Books and Ed Tarkington for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review Date: 12/30/2020
Publication Date: 01/05/2021

"No one, however exceptional, transcends the bitter fact of his humanity. Like the man says in that old book they made us read back in senior year: 'There's always something.' And no great temple was ever built without a few bodies buried beneath its foundation."

The Fortunate Ones is the story of Charlie Boykin, who was born to a teenage single mother and grew up on the wrong side of the tracks in Nashville. When he ends up at a prestigious prep school, his life becomes intertwined with his wealthy classmates', changing him forever. Arch is the charismatic popular kid who adopts Charlie as his little brother, Jamie is the fuck up who Charlie takes care of and Vanessa, Jamie's twin sister and Arch's girlfriend, is the one Charlie wishes was his. They are the titular "fortunate ones" but as they all come to learn, buried bodies always find a way to reveal themselves.

I could not put this book down. Like one of the classics from Fitzgerald or Hemingway, it's a story of wealth and privilege, of friendship and love, of the fall of heroes and the loss of innocence. Tarkington has created a brilliant cast of flawed and believable characters and his examination of Southern tradition, society and politics provides a juicy look at how the old boys network gets things done. The Fortunate Ones is truly a character study - there's not a lot of action - but Charlie and his friends are well worth your time.

4.5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley, Algonquin Books and the author for an advanced copy to review.