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Down and Out and Ready for a Miracle
Jacko Smith has never been big on hope. Being homeless, his only friends being crazy, and his prospects for the future being few are just some of the reasons why. Still, he’s intent on making a fresh start, so with his beater car, an old lawnmower, a love for Mark Twain, and his sense of responsibility, he sets out to conquer a sleepy neighborhood one lawn at a time.
But figuring out these old people and their social proprieties, while navigating his frenemies, is more stress than he expected. To make matters worse, his very first customer, unpredictable, elderly Oscar, watches every move that Jacko makes, and mysteriously fails to recognize him from day to day… plus his wife wants to shoot him.
His good intentions are constantly undermined by his scheming buddies, who endanger the quirky senior citizens who have captured Jacko’s loyalty. How far will they go to worm their way back into Jacko’s life and his new neighborhood… Scams? Arson? Kidnapping?
Yet somehow, hope reasserts itself as a kind brother and sister in the neighborhood reach out to Jacko and demonstrate the love of God, even as they pump him for information about their neighbor.
This is a story of humor, tragedy, hopelessness transformed, and surprise.
If you love Fanny Flagg and Erma Bombeck, you’ll love Down and Out and Ready for a Miracle.
But figuring out these old people and their social proprieties, while navigating his frenemies, is more stress than he expected. To make matters worse, his very first customer, unpredictable, elderly Oscar, watches every move that Jacko makes, and mysteriously fails to recognize him from day to day… plus his wife wants to shoot him.
His good intentions are constantly undermined by his scheming buddies, who endanger the quirky senior citizens who have captured Jacko’s loyalty. How far will they go to worm their way back into Jacko’s life and his new neighborhood… Scams? Arson? Kidnapping?
Yet somehow, hope reasserts itself as a kind brother and sister in the neighborhood reach out to Jacko and demonstrate the love of God, even as they pump him for information about their neighbor.
This is a story of humor, tragedy, hopelessness transformed, and surprise.
If you love Fanny Flagg and Erma Bombeck, you’ll love Down and Out and Ready for a Miracle.
366 pages, Paperback
Published November 7, 2025
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