I recently had the opportunity to read “Lucky Change,” a fun novel by author Susan Law Corpany. Our main character is Karen Donaldson, a woman who raised her two young children completely without the aid of their deadbeat father. They are grown now, but their lives aren’t going in positive directions, and Karen wishes that her salary as a grocery store checker had been enough to give them a better start in life.
In a moment of weakness, Karen buys a lottery ticket, and ends up winning over two hundred million dollars. Her lawyer advises her to set up a foundation and to spend her money wisely, and she proceeds to do just that—doing those things which she herself considers wise. She helps her friends get out of debt, she sets up businesses to keep people employed, and she hardly thinks about herself at all, not even going on a clothes shopping spree until near the end of the book. Her good nature is magnified by the fact that she can now do things for others that she has always wanted to do.
As I read, of course my imagination took hold, and I started to envision all the things I would do with that kind of dough. I would go house and car shopping, like, as soon as the check cleared, and I wouldn’t wait weeks on end before I even thought about my clothes. I’d probably drive my new car right on down to the store and buy me a whole new wardrobe. And my husband looks really good in a leather jacket, so I’d get him one, maybe two, in different colors …
But after my initial spending frenzy was over, what would I do with the rest of it? Would I do as Karen did and seek to make the lives of those around me better, or would I spend it on myself and become cynical of offers of friendship, worried that people were just out for my money?
I enjoyed this book because it made me analyze my own beliefs about money and service, and it also showed wise ways to handle money, once you have it. I also enjoyed it because it was hysterical. The characters are so off-the-wall, and the situations so outrageous, that I laughed out loud several times as I read. “Lucky Change” is definitely a recommended read.
“Lucky Change” was published in 2010 by Bonneville Books.
Related Blogs:
Investing an Inheritance: How to Weigh the Options
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my review. This did not affect my opinion.