This was my first book by Jane Smiley and it won’t be my last. I enjoyed this look back to era of 60s and 70s folk music.

Another lovely book from Jane Smiley. Although I've been down a rabbit hole of books about fictional folk musicians and rock bands in the past few years, it felt fresh and real and very immersive.

Although I loved Moo and A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley, Lucky did not live up to my high expectations. Since my daughter is a folk musician and songwriter, I was eager to read a novel about folk music by one of my favorite authors and requested the galley last spring. There were lots of music references, but they slowed down the narrative and felt more like research than storytelling. Perhaps Lucky would have worked better as an audio book with musical interludes?

On top of that, the narrative technique of luck driving the plot might have been a fun gimmick for a short story but doesn't sustain a novel. Especially since I'm familiar with the hard work musicians put in to succeed. Even worse, the narrative relies on inaccurate stereotypes when the setting shifts inexplicably to England. My husband is British and we've lived a few years there with our family.

I kept putting the galley aside because I was irritated or bored. I couldn't finish Lucky, but I would be willing to read another book by this author and you should too. I posted my honest review on Goodreads but won't share it on social media or my blog because I only share reviews of books I liked.

This was just not good. It didn't really make sense and then the end was just like a big question. Not my favorite.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Team for this Advanced Digital Readers Copy, I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

Jodie Rattler was born into a middle class family, the illegitimate child of a former Broadway wannabe. Her mother is an alcoholic. Her extended family, Grandparents, Cousin and his mother, another uncle and aunt are close knit and mostly live near one another in Saint Paul. For some reason, I both appreciated that this was well written and did not want to leave it unfinished, but it took me months to read. I put it down over and over. We find out that Jodie has some minor success as a folksinger/songwriter that a savvy uncle parlays into a nice sum that leaves her financially comfortable for life. We follow Jodie on a vagabond period through Europe, one serious romance and many not so serious hookups. She lacks a deep identity and ability to connect with people even though her fans love her and appreciate her. As she works on this and grows up from the 1950s to her fifties or so, she learns the power of relationships with her mother, friends they make and her extended family. Full circle but with an unexpected and hugely odd ending. I read it all. I would not read it again. But I give a book I decided to read through at least three stars because something pulled me to it. Jane Smiley is an amazing writer, but I really found this book boring.

3.6. I loved Jane Smiley’s earlier works, particularly A Thousand Acres and Moo, but not as much with her later works. This one is in the latter category. I really liked the parts on her family life, growing up and returning to St Louis, but the parts on Jodie’s role as a folk singer and her countless sexual encounters I found detracted from the book. As one very familiar with Jodie’s haunts in suburban St. Louis, I enjoyed those parts along with the countless family members and acquaintances, along with the one person she had a relationship with, Martin. I generally found the novel very meandering except when confronted with family issues. Thank you NetGalley for providing me an advance copy in exchange for an unbiased and candid review.

Jodie Rattler and I just didn't connect. We tried, had many of the same interests, but I felt ever at a distance with her, throughout all the times of her life. Most people change during the differing seasons of life, and one may not like a person at one point, but later become good, even great friends. Not for me and Jodie. She stays the same, not a very deep pool at any point.

I'll leave it there.

*A sincere thank you to Jane Smiley, RB Media, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.* #Lucky #NetGalley

Sigh. It's been quite a while since I have read Jane Smiley's work, and I was really looking forward to this new novel. A tale of the life of musician, Jodie Rattler, it sweeps through decades of her life, love, and loss, and luck. Throughout her life, she examines herself through the lens of being (or not being) lucky, struggling to understand what that means and who she is within that description. I found this to be so ling and quite boring. Despite walking through much of her life with her, I did not care much about Jodie. She was a very flat character, and so was the writing. I was disappointed almost the entire way through reading. I kept thinking, "surely something will happen now." I think I would have given up completely on this one had I not expected more of Smiley.

Thank you to Netgalley and Knopf for the opportunity to read this novel.

I have read Jane Smiley books before and loved them, but I couldn’t get through this one. It’s the story of a girl from St Louis with a beautiful voice, who seems to be on an improbable path to become a successful singer. I just didn’t love the character or the story.

What makes luck happen? Who can claim it as an over-arching theme of their life? What does a lucky life look like? Lucky’s protagonist Jodie Rattler believes her luck started at the racetrack when she was just six, and this belief that she’s “lucky” colors her entire life’s journey.

Like Daisy Jones and the Six, this story follows Jodie as she develops a successful music career. Though she’s not as wildly successful as Daisy, she does establish a comfortable life pursuing her passion. And she considers that lucky. Readers get to follow Jodie for many years and across many locations. We learn about the relationships that last for her and those that are fleeting. It’s a quiet, personal book that ponders philosophical life questions. The book made me examine my beliefs about what constitutes luck. Is it something we make happen or is it more embedded in our view of our world? Does luck even exist?

I loved the primary setting, too, since St. Louis is only a couple of hours from where I live and I have been there many times. I’m dying to take a weekend trip to the city to explore the neighborhoods the author describes. And speaking of the author, Jane Smiley is brilliant. It takes a skilled author to write a quiet book that brings a fictional character to life so vividly that it made me wish I could buy one of Jodi’s albums.

Read that summary and tell me what you would be expecting in a book. Here's what I was expecting: a book about a young woman who grows up to be a rock 'n' roll star, with all that implies - song writing, recording, touring, concerts, relationships. I expected interactions with the famous names that Smiley throws about. Have you already guessed that that's not what I felt like I got?

After my first experience with Smiley (in 2015, Some Luck), I was pretty sure that Smiley wasn't for me. But Smiley is a prolific, Pulitzer Prize-winning author. It's clear she's well respected and loved by many and I assumed that one day I would at least read the book that won the Pulitzer, A Thousand Acres. Knowing that I was planning on giving her another chance, I figured this one might as well be it.

What I Liked:
Early on, I was drawn in to this one, to the details about Jodie's neighborhood and family and the vivid picture I was getting. I immediately texted a friend who'd moved here from St. Louis about it, certain that she would recognize the places Smiley was referencing. Honestly, if the story had never left St. Louis but focused instead on the family, I think I would have enjoyed this one more. It's truly what the book felt like it was meant to be.
The characters of the Jodie's family and the friends she made through her mother. These characters felt really well developed and felt like people I might know.
The ending, which was totally unexpected. Although you'll note that the ending also falls on the next list.
What I Didn't Like:
When I reviewed Some Luck (and discussed it with my book club), the word minutiae came up. This book seems to make it clear that including the minutiae of life is one of Smiley's hallmarks. This would work for me in a novel that didn't span decades. Smiley includes so much about the food Jodie eats, the walks she takes (sooooo much about the walks!), the men she sleeps with (more as a look how many and less about the relationships).
All of the song lyrics. To be honest, I didn't think any of them would ever have been made into a real song; and, for me, they added nothing to the story and took up room that could have been better spent in other ways.
The ending. Yeah, I know I said that I liked it. There are kind of two parts of the ending. One I liked (clearly Smiley - or at least Jodie - and I are of a like mind politically). The other I felt was something of a cop out.
Now the question is - do I give Smiley a third chance? There are things that I really like about Smiley's writing. In some ways, that minutiae provides lovely, intimate details that allow readers to be absorbed into the character's lives. But...I keep expecting more than what I feel like I'm getting.

"Lucky" is a slow burn of a novel following the life of Jodie Rattler, a girl from St. Louis who transforms into a somewhat successful musician. In 1955, a six-year-old Jodie experiences her first luck at a racetrack with her uncle. Jodie carries the role of $2.00 bills around for her entire life. Kind a talisman of her luck.

The book continues to chronical Jodie's professional career and her personal quest for fulfillment, questioning whether true love or something else entirely is what she seeks. The book gives a good understanding of Jodie's many lovers and a tight knit group of family and friends.

I grew up going to St. Louis and this book made me want to find the streets the Jane Smiley referenced in the book. The houses in the area that the book takes place are beautiful. Her vivid writing style makes you feel like you are on the streets of St. Louis, New York, the Catskills, and many other cities across the country.

What did not work for me were the many song lyrics written throughout the book. I kind of ended up skipping over those at some point in the book. This book is lyrical but I believe it would have been more succinct with more editing. Also, I am not sure about the ending.

This was not my favorite Jane Smiley book. Some aspects are clever so make your own choice if a slow burn book about a musician is your jam at the time you read "Lucky".

Thank you NetGalley for an advance copy of "Lucky" in exchange for an honest review. #NetGalley #Lucky #JaneSmiley

A meandering life story of the folk-singer protagonist. I rather enjoyed the mundane-glimpse-of-life approach to this novel, but needed more throughline to make it sing, and there were a lot of little elements (career in the background, undercurrent of wealth protecting from worrying about finances, etc) that just took me out of the story. I could have appreciated these elements more in a shorter novel, but it's too long for what it is. Still find Jane Smiley's writing charming.

I tried really hard to get into this one, but I just wasn't able to. I am still really thankful to the publisher, author, and netgalley for granting me advanced access to this digital collection before publication day.

The book seemed too similar other books I have read so it didn't really keep my interest. Hopefully others will not have this problem because it was a good story. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher!

*3.5 stars rounded up*

If you’re a fan of memoirs looking to dip into fiction, this book might be for you.

Jodie Rattler spent most of her childhood falling in love with St. Louis in & around the 1960’s, & though her music career (& her aunt’s & uncle’s wise management of her investment portfolio) allowed her to travel extensively, she keeps coming back to the midwest city that’s not too big & not too small. Jodie’s the type of person that goes on lots of long walks as she mulls over lyrics for new songs she’s writing, & I really enjoyed her appreciation for nature. The introspective vibe of the book with its family dramas, world history events & politics & how they impacted the mindset of Americans, & gradual change in how the character views herself & others gives readers much to ponder. I also very much enjoyed references to bookstores I’ve been to (Left Bank Books & The Novel Neighbor) & the town I went to university in (Ames, IA - I read that the author was an instructor at Iowa State University & I’m disappointed that our time there didn’t overlap). As a midwesterner, the tornado mentions were all too relatable, & as a horse enthusiast I enjoyed the brief inclusion of Black Beauty & National Velvet.

Though I wasn’t a fan of the ending, I think I see what the author was getting at & I look forward to reading more of her backlist in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley & Knopf for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

So great to have a new novel by Jane Smiley! Her main character in Lucky, Jodie Rattler is so authentic I needed to check early in the book to see if this was an actual memoir, or in fact, fiction. Detail oriented and epic in the timeline, we learn about Jodie’s music, musical career (and many of her lover’s and walks at the various places she lived!) At times heartbreaking, at times filled with love and optimism, and always filled with the kind of existential angst those of us who grew up in the sixties experienced firsthand, Lucky is a snapshot of the age through one woman’s life.
The ending surprised me, and I struggled with it. I admit it simply may be a bit beyond me. Other than that, I enjoyed reading Lucky. Thanks to NetGalley and Alfred Knopf for the advance readers copy. The book was published April 23, 2024

It's always great to see Jane Smiley write another book and take us to place she hasn't gone before. This one revloves around music and as always gives us her love of horses. It's all about music and the 60's and how Jodie Rattler became the woman she is. Even though people may disagree with me it was in the genre of Daisy Jones and the Six. You could feel the music and crazy stories of the 60's coming off the pages. This story could have been trite but in the capable hands of Jane Smiley you truly get a smart version of the music industyr and what it took to be famous. I have friends in the music industry and told them this is a musy read for them. It's one of those novels you can dive into and feel like you're learning something about an era as you're being entertained. I really recommend this book for Jane Smiley fans and people interested in books about the music industry and what women had to put up with. Thanks to @knopf and @netgalley for the read.

This book felt like it was trying to be Daisy Jones but was more like Everyone Knows Your Mother is a Witch with an interesting choice of epilogue. While I think this would be popular among wine-mom book clubs, I’m not sure it’s one that will appeal to most readers.