Lucky by Jane Smiley

Lucky by Jane Smiley

384 pages

Published April 2024 by Knopf Doubleday Publishing

Source: my copy courtesy of the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review

Publisher's Summary: 

Before Jodie Rattler became a star, she was a girl growing up in St. Louis. One day in 1955, when she was just six years old, her uncle Drew took her to the racetrack, where she got lucky—and that roll of two-dollar bills she won has never since left her side. Jodie thrived in the warmth of her extended family, and then—through a combination of hard work and serendipity—she started a singing career, which catapulted her from St. Louis to New York City, from the English countryside to the tropical beaches of St. Thomas, from Cleveland to Los Angeles, and back again. Jodie comes of age in recording studios, backstage, and on tour, and she tries to hold her own in the wake of Janis Joplin, Joan Baez, Judy Collins, and Joni Mitchell. Yet it feels like something is missing. Could it be true love? Or is that not actually what Jodie is looking for?

Full of atmosphere, shot through with longing and exuberance, romance and rock 'n' roll, Lucky is a story of chance and grit and the glitter of real talent, a colorful portrait of one woman's journey in search of herself.

My Thoughts: 

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.