Perry L. Crandall is in his early 30s and lives with his Gram. He is not retarded, as is often said about him, although he is slow, a fact that is constantly with him. He has worked at a boat store in Washington state for 16 years, where he met his 2 closest friends, and the only other people in the world he can trust besides his Gram. When his beloved Gram passes away, and he wins the lottery shortly after, his entire world changes and he is faced with the challenge of everyday life on his own. He struggles in dealing with his mother and 2 brothers, none of whom actually care about him, and he struggles with learning how to get through the day without the help from Gram.
When Perry wins the lottery, Gary and Keith, his two friends from work, assist him as he moves into his new apartment, and with his lottery win. Perry does do a few things he always wanted to do if he won, such as buying a 27" TV and DVDS, and taking a trip to Hawaii. Gary and Keith try their best to help Perry navigate his finances, and to avoid his 2 brothers, who start begging for money once they hear about Perry's windfall. I must say I was furious with Perry's scumbag lawyer-brothers begging for money because they'd created their own problems in life. I just kept turning the pages, hoping Perry would not give in.
Perry's brothers were not the only ones to befriend him after his big win. He turns into somewhat of a local celebrity, which is great for business at the boat shop. And even though Perry is slow, he sees what is happening:
If I look into people's eyes deep down, I can almost tell what they are thinking. Their eyeballs sort of dart around like dropped screws on the floor. Before I won the lottery, they did not want to talk to me. Now they do, but their eyes look the same. It is spooky, but fun. I mean, I do not know how they really feel.When Perry learns that his best friend Keith is dating Perry's crush Cherry, he is heartbroken, but he continues on, as his Gram would have told him. "Move on, Perry, move on." I loved how Patricia Wood allowed Perry to continue hearing his Gram's messages even after her death.
Soon enough, Perry is facing more challenges and he shines throughout. By the end of the book, he truly seems to have figured out the game of life. He also turns out to be one hell of a businessman, as Gary makes him partner in the boat shop and the business expands.
And in the very end, Perry gives up his lottery winnings to his family. He does not entirely understand what he is doing, but he is willingly giving up the money, because as he says, he doesn't need it and his family does. Perry was obviously much smarter with money than both of his highly educated but morally challenged brothers. I wanted to be mad when Perry signed away the money, but I couldn't, because it was such a great lesson. He gave it away because he didn't need it. (And his naughty brothers got what they deserved anyway.)
Such a great story. Loved it. Highly recommend it!
1 comment:
Isn't this a fabulous book?! I read it when it first came out and think I could read it again. You can find my review here, as well as my interview with Pat here. I can't wait for her next book!
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