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Lucky
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Lucky
Author: Alice Sebold

Book Information
Publisher: Back Bay Books
Book Type: Paperback
Members Wishing: 0
Rating:

ISBN-13: 9780316096195 - ISBN-10: 0316096199
Pages: 272


Other Versions of this Book: Hardcover, Audio Cassette, Audio CD (Unabridged)

Book Description:
Enormously visceral, emotionally gripping, and imbued with the belief that justice is possible even after the most horrific of crimes, Alice Sebold's compelling memoir of her rape at the age of eighteen is a story that takes hold of you and won't let go.

Sebold fulfills a promise that she made to herself in the very tunnel where she was raped: someday she would write a book about her experience. With Lucky she delivers on that promise with mordant wit and an eye for life's absurdities, as she describes what she was like both as a young girl before the rape and how that rape changed but did not sink the woman she later became.

It is Alice's indomitable spirit that we come to know in these pages. The same young woman who sets her sights on becoming an Ethel Merman-style diva one day (despite her braces, bad complexion, and extra weight) encounters what is still thought of today as the crime from which no woman can ever really recover. In an account that is at once heartrending and hilarious, we see Alice's spirit prevail as she struggles to have a normal college experience in the aftermath of this harrowing, life-changing event.

No less gripping is the almost unbelievable role that coincidence plays in the unfolding of Sebold's narrative. Her case, placed in the inactive file, is miraculously opened again six months later when she sees her rapist on the street. This begins the long road to what dominates these pages: the struggle for triumph and understanding -- in the courtroom and outside in the world.

Lucky is, quite simply, a real-life thriller. In its literary style and narrative tension we never lose sight of why this life story is worth reading. At the end we are left standing in the wake of devastating violence, and, like the writer, we have come to know what it means to survive.

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Running with ScissorsThe Lovely Bones


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Top Member Book Reviews

A. J. C. (Bibliocrates) wrote on 7/8/2007...

20 member(s) found this review helpful.

This book was so intense that I had to take breaks from reading it due to the realness of the subject matter. I can't imagine having gone through what Alice went through and then being OK psychologically. As it turned out, Alice wasn't as OK as she thought she was, as evidenced by her later drug use and other behaviors. I read the NPR transcript of her conversation with Terry Gross on 'Fresh Air' at the end of the novel and I liked what she had to say about therapeutic writing, that writing can be therapeutic, but that therapeutic writing shouldn't be published. I think I agree with that statement. I'm sure many memoirs are written as a form of therapy, but in Alice's case, her memoir came to be after she reached a point where she was OK. As she stated, reading her journals about how she felt after the rape after all those years was "mind-blowing" and made her realize that she "did OK." I also liked what she had to say about being able to find compassion for the man that raped her, that just because you can't forgive someone for what they've done to you, doesn't mean you can't find compassion for them.

Taryn C. (TarynC) wrote on 12/14/2007...

14 member(s) found this review helpful.

I read The Lovely Bones and it is a favorite of mine. This book is a totally frank account of how the author's rape impacted her life. I think it was a courageous book for her to write and share her story with us.I am going to insist my 19 yr old college freshman read this.

Marci G. (GowerMeower) wrote on 6/4/2007...

10 member(s) found this review helpful.

Riveting true account of the author's experience after being raped at 18. Truthful and compelling, it is difficult to imagine how she was able to write it down.

Karla F. (KarlaF) wrote on 4/4/2007...

10 member(s) found this review helpful.

An absolutely brilliant account of surviving rape, an indictment of the efficient legal system, and a critical look at the work of advocates that are part of Rape Crisis programs.

Mina K. wrote on 5/1/2007...

9 member(s) found this review helpful.

Alice Sebold is very brave and courageous to write something so personal. A brilliant book about how she survived rape and the pursuit of justice. I couldn't put it down.

Maureen C. (Modaba) wrote on 6/14/2007...

8 member(s) found this review helpful.

A personal tale of the author's personal hell. Written by the author of The Lovely Bones, this book gives the chilling real life story of the author's survival...physically, mentally, and emotionally...of a brutal rape. Difficult to read at times...not because of the quality of Ms. Sebold's writing...it is superb... but because it is shocking in its truth and honesty. I lived in Syracuse, NY during my college years, so many of the places described are very real to me...a little too real for comfort at times.

I hope to read more from Alice Sebold in the future. She is indeed a gifted writer. Perhaps her literary talents have helped her to survive this ordeal. I highly recommend this book!

Debbie S. (DebbieS) wrote on 5/5/2007...

8 member(s) found this review helpful.

A sad and harrowing tale of the author's rape and ensuing trial. Very honest and upfront.

Santos G. wrote on 2/11/2007...

7 member(s) found this review helpful.

This is the most powerful book I've ever read. She conveyed the rawness of her ordeal in such an unflinching way, that it sent chills down my spine. She is an AMAZING writer and a courageous woman!!

Kristin F. (KristinF) wrote on 2/3/2009...

6 member(s) found this review helpful.

Very powerful book. Alice Sebold takes you through her trauma of being raped, prosecuting her attacker and the aftermath that follows. This book really grabs you but is not for the faint of heart! However, all of Alice's books seem to have that theme to them. It definitely shows her strong character to overcome such a horrible experience and still come out on top.

Joan S. wrote on 3/21/2007...

6 member(s) found this review helpful.

emotionally charged yet an ingrossing read. Well worth reading even with the difficulty of the subject matter.


Please Rate these Book Reviews

Theresa C. wrote on 11/15/2009...


Excellent read.

Susan S. wrote on 10/13/2009...


This is a hard book to read. The author tells her true story about rape. The subject is difficult, but she does a great job of helping us understand the feelings associated with this. This was a book that you will have a hard time putting down.

Thelma Z. wrote on 8/29/2009...


Interesting. Not the best I've read, but I'll keep it.

Sarah W. (SwSe86) - MI wrote on 8/14/2009...


I really enjoyed this book. The contents were inspirational. I will warn that the book at points was very graphic though.

Wanda F. (miyo) wrote on 8/5/2009...


Great reading that kept me totally wanting to turn the page.

Shelley N. wrote on 7/21/2009...


I loved this book!

Julie R. wrote on 7/21/2009...


I read Sebold's Lovely Bones and wanted to read this too. I found the book interesting and well written.

Julie M. wrote on 2/28/2007...


Brand new condition

Sandi B. wrote on 12/27/2006...


A great book...very moving!

Joyce G. (MsSun829) wrote on 12/18/2006...


The true story of the author's rape. The author also wrote The Lovely Bones. A great read.


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Alica Sebold (Primary Character)
Gail Uebelhoer (Average Character)
Gregory Madison (Average Character)
Tess Gallagher (Average Character)
Lila Rinehart (Average Character)
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