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Summer of My Amazing Luck
A Novel by the Governor General’s Literary Award—winning author of A Complicated Kindness
Lucy Van Alstyne always thought she’d grow up to become a forest ranger. Instead, at the age of eighteen, she’s found herself with quite a different job Single Mother on the Dole. As for the father of her nine-month-old son, Dillinger, well…it could be any of number of guys.
At the Have-a-Life housing project–aptly nicknamed Half-a-Life by those who call it home–Lucy meets Lish, a zany and exuberant woman whose idea of fashion is a black beret with a big silver spider brooch stuck on it. Lish is the mother of four daughters, two by a man on welfare himself and twins from a one-week stand with a fire-eating busker who stole her heart–and her wallet.
Living on the dole isn’t a walk in the park for Lucy and Lish. Dinner almost always consists of noodles. Transportation means pushing a crappy stroller through the rain. Then there are the condescending welfare agents with their dreaded surprise inspections. And just across the street is Serenity Place, another housing project with which Half-a-Life is engaged in a full-on feud. When the women aren’t busy snitching on each other, they’re spreading rumours–or plotting elaborate acts of revenge.
In the middle of a mosquito-infested rainy season, Lish and Lucy decide to escape the craziness of Half-A-Life by taking to the road. In a van held together with coat-hangers and electrical tape and crammed to the hilt with kids and toys, they set off to Colorado in search Lish’s lost love and the father of her twins. Whether they’ll find him is questionable, but the down-and-out adventure helps Lucy realize that this just may be the summer of her amazing luck.
Miriam Toews’s debut novel, Summer of My Amazing Luck opens our eyes to a social class rarely captured in fiction. At once hilarious and heartbreaking, it is inhabited by an unforgettable and poignant group of characters. Shortlisted for both the McNally Robinson Book of the Year Award and for the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour, it also earned Miriam the John Hirsch Award for the Most Promising Manitoba Writer.
Lucy Van Alstyne always thought she’d grow up to become a forest ranger. Instead, at the age of eighteen, she’s found herself with quite a different job Single Mother on the Dole. As for the father of her nine-month-old son, Dillinger, well…it could be any of number of guys.
At the Have-a-Life housing project–aptly nicknamed Half-a-Life by those who call it home–Lucy meets Lish, a zany and exuberant woman whose idea of fashion is a black beret with a big silver spider brooch stuck on it. Lish is the mother of four daughters, two by a man on welfare himself and twins from a one-week stand with a fire-eating busker who stole her heart–and her wallet.
Living on the dole isn’t a walk in the park for Lucy and Lish. Dinner almost always consists of noodles. Transportation means pushing a crappy stroller through the rain. Then there are the condescending welfare agents with their dreaded surprise inspections. And just across the street is Serenity Place, another housing project with which Half-a-Life is engaged in a full-on feud. When the women aren’t busy snitching on each other, they’re spreading rumours–or plotting elaborate acts of revenge.
In the middle of a mosquito-infested rainy season, Lish and Lucy decide to escape the craziness of Half-A-Life by taking to the road. In a van held together with coat-hangers and electrical tape and crammed to the hilt with kids and toys, they set off to Colorado in search Lish’s lost love and the father of her twins. Whether they’ll find him is questionable, but the down-and-out adventure helps Lucy realize that this just may be the summer of her amazing luck.
Miriam Toews’s debut novel, Summer of My Amazing Luck opens our eyes to a social class rarely captured in fiction. At once hilarious and heartbreaking, it is inhabited by an unforgettable and poignant group of characters. Shortlisted for both the McNally Robinson Book of the Year Award and for the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour, it also earned Miriam the John Hirsch Award for the Most Promising Manitoba Writer.
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 16, 1996
81 people are currently reading
2309 people want to read
About the author
Miriam Toews
18 books3,274 followersMiriam Toews is a Canadian writer of Mennonite descent. She grew up in Steinbach, Manitoba and has lived in Montreal and London, before settling in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Toews studied at the University of Manitoba and the University of King's College in Halifax, and has also worked as a freelance newspaper and radio journalist. Her non-fiction book "Swing Low: A Life" was a memoir of her father, a victim of lifelong depression. Her 2004 novel "A Complicated Kindness" was her breakthrough work, spending over a year on the Canadian bestseller lists and winning the Governor General's Award for English Fiction. The novel, about a teenage girl who longs to escape her small Russian Mennonite town and hang out with Lou Reed in the slums of New York City, was also nominated for the Giller Prize and was the winning title in the 2006 edition of Canada Reads.
A series of letters she wrote in 2000 to the father of her son were published on the website www.openletters.net and were profiled on the radio show This American Life in an episode about missing parents.
In 2007 she made her screen debut in the Mexican film "Luz silenciosa" directed by Carlos Reygadas, which screened at the Cannes Film Festival.
In Sept. 2008, Knopf Canada published her novel "The Flying Troutmans", about a 28-year-old woman from Manitoba who takes her 15-year-old nephew and 11-year-old niece on a road trip to California after their mentally ill mother has been hospitalized.
Irma Voth, was released in April 2011 and is a novel about a conservative Mennonite community in Mexico.
All My Pun Sorrows published in 2014 is a novel about two sisters in story that was inspired by Miriam Toews’ relationship with her sister who committed suicide.
Women Talking is a novel published in 2018 and is inspired by historical events that took place between 2005 and 2009 on a remote Mennonite community in Bolivia. A film adaptation of the book was released in late 2022. The movie won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Fight Night published in 2021 is a novel that focuses on a multigenerational family of women living in Toronto and features the relationship between the grandmother and grand daughter on a trip to California.
A Truce That Is Not Peace published in 2025 is nonfiction memoir.
Toews studied at the University of Manitoba and the University of King's College in Halifax, and has also worked as a freelance newspaper and radio journalist. Her non-fiction book "Swing Low: A Life" was a memoir of her father, a victim of lifelong depression. Her 2004 novel "A Complicated Kindness" was her breakthrough work, spending over a year on the Canadian bestseller lists and winning the Governor General's Award for English Fiction. The novel, about a teenage girl who longs to escape her small Russian Mennonite town and hang out with Lou Reed in the slums of New York City, was also nominated for the Giller Prize and was the winning title in the 2006 edition of Canada Reads.
A series of letters she wrote in 2000 to the father of her son were published on the website www.openletters.net and were profiled on the radio show This American Life in an episode about missing parents.
In 2007 she made her screen debut in the Mexican film "Luz silenciosa" directed by Carlos Reygadas, which screened at the Cannes Film Festival.
In Sept. 2008, Knopf Canada published her novel "The Flying Troutmans", about a 28-year-old woman from Manitoba who takes her 15-year-old nephew and 11-year-old niece on a road trip to California after their mentally ill mother has been hospitalized.
Irma Voth, was released in April 2011 and is a novel about a conservative Mennonite community in Mexico.
All My Pun Sorrows published in 2014 is a novel about two sisters in story that was inspired by Miriam Toews’ relationship with her sister who committed suicide.
Women Talking is a novel published in 2018 and is inspired by historical events that took place between 2005 and 2009 on a remote Mennonite community in Bolivia. A film adaptation of the book was released in late 2022. The movie won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Fight Night published in 2021 is a novel that focuses on a multigenerational family of women living in Toronto and features the relationship between the grandmother and grand daughter on a trip to California.
A Truce That Is Not Peace published in 2025 is nonfiction memoir.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 275 reviews
August 3, 2021
Another phenomenal 5-star read from Miriam Toews! As always, this book was hilarious, it was touching, it was goofy, it was shocking. But what sets Toews apart is that there will always be a measure of profundity in her novels! Do not make the mistake of clumping her in with authors of "contemporary" fiction. That is definitely NOT her style! Her writing is kilometres above that. She knows how to write tremendous novels that will elicit "all the feels" and she knows the human condition so intimately well that you can count on everything she writes being uproariously funny AND supremely touching because that's REAL LIFE! Real life is a combination of events - it's good, horrible, funny, morbid; it can be surprising, shocking, unfair, relatable, and tragic. But the one thing her stories are NOT is predictable!
This particular novel is such a gem. I had a vague idea of how I thought it would go, but holy cow, was I ever wrong! The book follows the lives of several single moms living on social assistance in a run-down housing project in downtown Winnipeg. As I started the book I assumed - based on the title - that something would take place to change the fortunes of these women.
I wish more people would discover the treasure of a Miriam Toews novel. She truly is a remarkable author with immense talent.
This particular novel is such a gem. I had a vague idea of how I thought it would go, but holy cow, was I ever wrong! The book follows the lives of several single moms living on social assistance in a run-down housing project in downtown Winnipeg. As I started the book I assumed - based on the title - that something would take place to change the fortunes of these women.
I wish more people would discover the treasure of a Miriam Toews novel. She truly is a remarkable author with immense talent.
October 18, 2023
This is my second venture in reading Miriam Toews, whom my Canadian friend Jodi turned me onto. Previously I have read A Complicated Kindness, but this was so different and in many ways amazing. It has to be Canadian and not American as our narrator Lucy is a single mum with a baby that she does not know who the father is, on the dole and living in social housing. It would be unimaginable for an American to write such a novel. Ms Toews writes with humour and lots of insight into what it means to live in such a scenario, I imagine Canada's welfare system to be more like Australia's rather than America, where such a person would most likely be looked down upon I believe.
I certainly enjoyed the colourful characters, lots of fun children and just what women like Lucy must face in their circumstances.
A quibble I have with Goodreads is that in their blurb about this book, there is a major reveal in the description that the reader doesn't find out until around 85%. Good one though and most enjoyed, four solid stars.
I certainly enjoyed the colourful characters, lots of fun children and just what women like Lucy must face in their circumstances.
A quibble I have with Goodreads is that in their blurb about this book, there is a major reveal in the description that the reader doesn't find out until around 85%. Good one though and most enjoyed, four solid stars.
June 9, 2024
There's nothing amazing or lucky in this book. Perhaps a better title would have been, "My Down-And-Out Tale." Perhaps the title is trying to be ironic. It's a story about a single mother who's on welfare. Her situation is miserable. But her story is told with an air of humor and indifference to her environment.
There aren't very many novels written about the welfare class. And there are even fewer novels written about women on welfare free of moralizing. This book simply tells the story, and it is what it is. In this way Miriam Toews demonstrates her ability to make her writing interesting while writing about common uneventful sorts of things.
In some ways this book could be described as a first person narrative focusing of trivial everyday sorts of thoughts and feelings. There are some symbols and motifs for people who look for them: rain, washing off graffiti, diverting storm water from one place to another, flooded basements, a journey to nowhere. Then near the end there is some excitement and new hope. It ends with mild optimism, but certainly no "happily ever after."
The following quotation caught my eye for some reason. It's two poor people talking about being poor:
"Narrative Ethics in Miriam Toew's Summer of My Amazing Luck" by Daniel Cruz
https://mennonitewriting.org/journal/...
Footnotes and Works Cited for the above article are at this link:
https://mennonitewriting.org/journal/...
One can tell from my review that I had no idea that this book contained such profound qualities as to deserve a scholarly paper be written about it.
There aren't very many novels written about the welfare class. And there are even fewer novels written about women on welfare free of moralizing. This book simply tells the story, and it is what it is. In this way Miriam Toews demonstrates her ability to make her writing interesting while writing about common uneventful sorts of things.
In some ways this book could be described as a first person narrative focusing of trivial everyday sorts of thoughts and feelings. There are some symbols and motifs for people who look for them: rain, washing off graffiti, diverting storm water from one place to another, flooded basements, a journey to nowhere. Then near the end there is some excitement and new hope. It ends with mild optimism, but certainly no "happily ever after."
The following quotation caught my eye for some reason. It's two poor people talking about being poor:
"Yeah, but we're poor because we're stupid. And being poor makes us more stupid."The following link is to a scholarly paper (it's very long) that uses this novel as a basis for the discussion of ethics.
"No, it doesn't. It makes other people think we're stupid. You know there are so many pissed-off people who are considered much more successful than me, but I think I'm happy, I feel happy. I don't know why. I have Dill. I'm young. We're on the road. Stuff's happening. I wish it was enough to be happy. It should be, you know. That should be the mark of success, you know, just a general feeling of happiness...."
"Narrative Ethics in Miriam Toew's Summer of My Amazing Luck" by Daniel Cruz
https://mennonitewriting.org/journal/...
Footnotes and Works Cited for the above article are at this link:
https://mennonitewriting.org/journal/...
One can tell from my review that I had no idea that this book contained such profound qualities as to deserve a scholarly paper be written about it.
January 13, 2012
I loved this book. This may be my favourite Toews novel so far. Toews has a wonderful and humorous way of illustrating her characters' resilience in the face of hardship and tragedy. Also, the details she uses create such verisimilitude, I almost believe that Half a Life is an actual place, and the characters in it are living, breathing human beings. For instance, the Sikh caretaker, Singh Dillon, is called "Sing Dylan" by the residents of Half a Life, and this quirky little detail seems so odd and funny that it simply must be real. Lish's ever-present spider-pin, that is shined up for special occasions, is another such detail.
In my work, I know a lot of single mothers, and I hear about their stories and their struggles, so this novel rang very true for me. However, although it deals with people in difficult circumstances, it's not a Sad Sack sort of book. It made me laugh out loud many times.
In my work, I know a lot of single mothers, and I hear about their stories and their struggles, so this novel rang very true for me. However, although it deals with people in difficult circumstances, it's not a Sad Sack sort of book. It made me laugh out loud many times.
January 25, 2016
I hope the movie rights to this novel have been snapped up by a producer with an appreciation for strong female characters. This book has plenty.
A great read -- and the author gets bonus marks for winding in cultural references to Casey, Finnegan, and Mr. Dressup.
A great read -- and the author gets bonus marks for winding in cultural references to Casey, Finnegan, and Mr. Dressup.
February 18, 2024
God, do I EVER love to read a book set in the world’s greatest city!!!
October 19, 2025
The story had the potential to be a really fun read, but I was disappointed to realize that the actual trip—the part I was most looking forward to—only lasted a few chapters. If the author had spent less time detailing the characters’ welfare situations and more time delivering what was promised in the plot summary, the story might have felt less rushed and messy by the end.
I would have liked to see more development in Lish and Lucy’s friendship, more time devoted to Lucy’s reconciliation with her father, and, most importantly, a stronger focus on the trip itself and even a potential encounter with Gotcha - it should have been the heart of the novel.
After writing this review, I’ve decided to lower my rating from 3 to 2.5 stars.
I would have liked to see more development in Lish and Lucy’s friendship, more time devoted to Lucy’s reconciliation with her father, and, most importantly, a stronger focus on the trip itself and even a potential encounter with Gotcha - it should have been the heart of the novel.
After writing this review, I’ve decided to lower my rating from 3 to 2.5 stars.
July 5, 2009
'Summer of My Amazing Luck' was Miriam Toews first novel and although it lacks the polished writing more evident in the latter 'A Complicated Kindness', itself the 2004 winner of the Governor General's award, it still makes for an interesting read. Through the eyes of Lucy Van Alstyne we are given a brief glimpse into the lives of a community of single mothers on welfare. Lucy is a naive, not stupid, 18 year old girl struggling to come to terms with her life; a baby with an unknown father, an emotionally detached father, and the violent death of her independently minded mother.
Toews is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors.
Her writing style has been described as casual and somehow it seems
appropriate. She has a biting sense of humour which helps to lessen
the dreariness depicted in her novels. She seems to have a knack for creating characters with whom I can empathize.
I will definitely be reading some more Toews.
Toews is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors.
Her writing style has been described as casual and somehow it seems
appropriate. She has a biting sense of humour which helps to lessen
the dreariness depicted in her novels. She seems to have a knack for creating characters with whom I can empathize.
I will definitely be reading some more Toews.
November 26, 2008
I just couldn't get into this book. I returned it to the library without even finishing it. The story was character driven and though they are quirky, I didn't care about them and there wasn't enough plot to keep me engaged.
July 24, 2016
Delightfully witty and subversive, yet tender and astutely observant; a joyful and humorous read.
January 21, 2015
Oh Miriam Toews, you write great books. I want to buy them all. This one is especially enjoyable, with deeply flawed characters and tons of humor. It is basically like the movie Little Miss Sunshine if the main characters were single moms on welfare. These two, Lish and Lucy, are very quirky and likable, don't always show good judgment, and maintain a remarkably optimistic outlook for most of the book. They are barely holding things together, but still trying to take care of their kids and live well. I think A Complicated Kindness packed more of an emotional punch, but this one had its moments too, particularly regarding the death of Lucy's mother and its continuing impact on her life. The portrait Toews paints of living on public assistance, particularly for single moms, is a bit rosy in places, but she definitely highlighted some of the problems as well, and her characters are varied and memorable. Definitely recommendable.
April 22, 2022
I liked this book because I really enjoy Miriam Toews, but this book from 2006 is not as impressive as many of her others. It's a quick read, though, and takes place in Winnipeg so that's fun. Our protagonist is Lucy, a teenaged mom living in government housing on social assistance. She regales us with tales from the other inhabitants and her good friend Lish, and also reflects on the loss of her mother and her relationship with her father. But it's light-hearted and fun. This particular edition had many grammatical errors that I found quite distracting.
April 28, 2014
This is my third Toews book, and it is probably good I waited. I found it interesting to read this less tightly written story after reading her two best novels. It's like looking at film of a minor hockey player after he has made the NHL. You see the potential as it relates to the now seasoned pro.
One thing stood out for me in this story -- Ms. Toews ability to end scenes and paragraphs. I bet a crafty professor could build a creative writing course in how to end things based solely on this book. Many times I had to sit back, re-read the sentence, and say wow. "Better a late father than an absent father" is a random ending I pulled out. Unfortunately you need to read the paragraph to get it. Novels are like that.
The rest of the story didn't do much for me. Ms. Toews writing is nice. Not as airy and jovial as her other stories, but she uses small words that flow well. I never need a dictionary reading her work, and IMHO that is a good thing. She is definitely no Mordecai Richler.
What bothered me was the main character and the various images painted. Lucy is a plain, unimaginative, background people watcher. A young single mom on the dole with apparently zero creativity, charm, or balls. Yet she makes a big lie. She lies out of the blue from some flimsy situation she thinks she sees. Fine. I can live with that. It didn't rankle me. But later as we're winding down, she makes some thoughts that come out of left field:
p.191 - Cactus Flats. Where history was made, thanks to me and my big need to shape other peoples' lives.
Huh? What? Where did this obsessive bitch come from? It was definitely not the character speaking in my oppressed male brain.
p.195 - And I think any more confusion at that point would have made me certifiably insane.
Such a hyperbolic statement needs at least some building. I am confused as to where all this confusion was.
p. 207 And not only that, but things were happening without me making them happen.
An allusion to the fact she had been manipulating everything. If everything was the one big lie, well, okay. But everything else in the story was not manipulated. Even the stolen buggy was an impulsive need.
Really, if she had taken these three sentences and then written the story, I think it would have turned out much differently. For the better. We might have witnessed more of a personal transformation.
Lots of unrelated scenes and events throughout. Lots of non-story-related prose that grew tiresome, did not build strong images with me. Lots of telling comments. Yawned a lot but kept reading. The author is extremely easy to read, even when her subject matter drifts into the prosaic.
And I found four mistakes, dammit. I hate finding mistakes in Can-lit. And I found four of the darlings. If I found four, how many are there really? By iceberg logic there might be forty. Damn the editors!
1. p.87 Men were crawling in and our of our beds.
2. p.158 She told my dad to rake a nap.
3. p.189 Out dad died and came back to life so he could see us.
4. p.213 When you're only pulling in nine grand, and extra thousand bucks in worth a little blackmail.
Dreadful editing by somebody. Who do I blame, Turnstone Press, Vintage Books, Random House, or the author? All of them? (Honestly, if I ever get published, I'd be grateful for only four screw-ups like this.)
A worthy read if you are a Toews fan. If not, definitely read her chicken and pelican books before this mosquito book ;)
One thing stood out for me in this story -- Ms. Toews ability to end scenes and paragraphs. I bet a crafty professor could build a creative writing course in how to end things based solely on this book. Many times I had to sit back, re-read the sentence, and say wow. "Better a late father than an absent father" is a random ending I pulled out. Unfortunately you need to read the paragraph to get it. Novels are like that.
The rest of the story didn't do much for me. Ms. Toews writing is nice. Not as airy and jovial as her other stories, but she uses small words that flow well. I never need a dictionary reading her work, and IMHO that is a good thing. She is definitely no Mordecai Richler.
What bothered me was the main character and the various images painted. Lucy is a plain, unimaginative, background people watcher. A young single mom on the dole with apparently zero creativity, charm, or balls. Yet she makes a big lie. She lies out of the blue from some flimsy situation she thinks she sees. Fine. I can live with that. It didn't rankle me. But later as we're winding down, she makes some thoughts that come out of left field:
p.191 - Cactus Flats. Where history was made, thanks to me and my big need to shape other peoples' lives.
Huh? What? Where did this obsessive bitch come from? It was definitely not the character speaking in my oppressed male brain.
p.195 - And I think any more confusion at that point would have made me certifiably insane.
Such a hyperbolic statement needs at least some building. I am confused as to where all this confusion was.
p. 207 And not only that, but things were happening without me making them happen.
An allusion to the fact she had been manipulating everything. If everything was the one big lie, well, okay. But everything else in the story was not manipulated. Even the stolen buggy was an impulsive need.
Really, if she had taken these three sentences and then written the story, I think it would have turned out much differently. For the better. We might have witnessed more of a personal transformation.
Lots of unrelated scenes and events throughout. Lots of non-story-related prose that grew tiresome, did not build strong images with me. Lots of telling comments. Yawned a lot but kept reading. The author is extremely easy to read, even when her subject matter drifts into the prosaic.
And I found four mistakes, dammit. I hate finding mistakes in Can-lit. And I found four of the darlings. If I found four, how many are there really? By iceberg logic there might be forty. Damn the editors!
1. p.87 Men were crawling in and our of our beds.
2. p.158 She told my dad to rake a nap.
3. p.189 Out dad died and came back to life so he could see us.
4. p.213 When you're only pulling in nine grand, and extra thousand bucks in worth a little blackmail.
Dreadful editing by somebody. Who do I blame, Turnstone Press, Vintage Books, Random House, or the author? All of them? (Honestly, if I ever get published, I'd be grateful for only four screw-ups like this.)
A worthy read if you are a Toews fan. If not, definitely read her chicken and pelican books before this mosquito book ;)
September 24, 2025
To the single mother I dated when I was twenty-four: your sacrifices were beyond my comprehension.
July 8, 2016
I have to admit that I love Miriam Toews. Right out of the park. There. I've said it. I'll read anything she writes and most likely will enjoy. A lot. The only reason I rated her 'memoir' Swing Low, at only 4 stars, is because of the subject matter and how difficult it is to tackle a parent's inevitable decline into old age and dementia and do it superbly well. But I digress. The Summer of My Amazing Luck is a window into the life of a teenage single mom living in the 'centre of the universe': Winnipeg, Manitoba. The story is filled with likable, amusing and interesting characters; the story line intriguing. It was a very quick and pleasurable read. So many other reviewers have given a better description than I ever will, so I suggest that you read theirs, as mine is more appreciation of the author and not a review of the book. It's nice to know that Ms. Toews just kept getting better as she wrote more novels. By the time she wrote A Complicated Kindness, she had garnered a loyal audience. I love that she's a gifted writer. I love that she's Canadian and I love that her name is Miriam (so is my daughter's). Yeah. I'm a fan; can you tell?
August 2, 2008
This barely kept my interest. It's about Canadian Welfare Moms (They call welfare "the Dole," like in England); kind of depressing but not as bleak as A Complicated Kindness by same author, which I didn't even finish reading. The protagonist in this book is stupid, which bored me. She's purposely written as not intelligent, as are most of the other welfare moms in the book. Don't get me wrong—I love stereotypes, but I would've preferred a protagonist who was savvy and intelligent and rose above her circumstances. I guess you could say she had good intentions, but not really, because her motives were selfish. The title is very misleading. Nothing lucky really happens. The "luck" refers to a phrase her mom used to say.
July 29, 2011
Miriam Toews is incredible. This is the third book of hers I have read (A Complicated Kindness and The Flying Troutman's being the other two) and they are all fantastic, fun, intelligent, absorbing, and addictive-to-the-point-of-missing-your-bus stories. With an odd but real cast of characters and an honest genius for turning the mundane and ordinary into something beautiful and compelling, Miriam Toews is fast becoming my favourite author.
February 12, 2009
I did not love Summer of My Amazing Luck the way I did A Complicated Kindness and The Flying Troutmans--two novels that Toews wrote after this one. The writing is in the same sort of fast-paced, conversational style, but somehow everyone in the book felt more real to me than the first person narrator.
September 18, 2022
Toews’ first book and definitely not the best written. Clearly building towards her great command of character, humour, and wry observation in later books. Similar structure to Fight Night, but the latter is more composed and philosophical? Really attentive insight into the Canadian welfare system though.
March 31, 2014
This is one of my favourite books. Though it is not as subtle and mature and Toews' newer writing, it is a beautiful depiction of why I turn to Towes time and time again: the wondrous portrayal of people stumbling forward in the adventure that is their lives with good hearts and vague ideas.
March 9, 2013
I feel like I just spent a fun, fast-paced and interesting summer with a group of welfare mothers. I certainly learned a lot about the system and managing one's way through it. The characters were well developed and endearing. The Winnipeg setting and the road trip were enjoyable.
April 15, 2021
I didn’t think this book was any great masterpiece when I read it, but months later I find myself thinking about the story and even wondering how the characters are doing now. It stuck with me.
August 1, 2024
“These were our lives. If we couldn’t escape them, we would have to live them.”
Truly, a Miriam Toews’ C is the average author’s A. I started this with the feeling of, “oh, this is certainly an early Toews book” only to check and find out that it was her first! So it’s two-star rating is less a reflection of being “bad” so much as it is a reflection of it being the ghost of better things. I don’t know why I feel the need to justify myself, a two-star rating is still good.
Any given Toews book carries the same ingredients; intergenerational womanhood, first-person narratives obfuscating trauma, a dour Manitoban humor, and a slice of life story that quietly bubbles into personal reflection. There is often someone running away, often a father who’s absent either physically or emotionally, often precocious youths, etc. Her books largely differ in degrees, in what elements are being focused on and how they are focusing them. If “Summer of My Amazing Luck” has any central fault it’s that those ingredients are all present, but nothing quite feels fully cooked.
This undercooked sensation is at its most clear with a pretty central plot point which was so obfuscated that, when it came up in the ending of the book, I couldn’t tell if this was an intentionally late reveal (the sort of thing Toews would go on to do with harrowing effect in Irma Vep and Flying Troutmans), or if this had actually been set up and I totally missed it. On a quick review, there are definitely seeds planted, and the summary on Goodreads fully spells it out, but I am seeing other reviews here who were similarly confused so I am going to at least say the intentionality here is vague. I’ve been pretty checked out of things lately so I am willing to take some of the burden here but I’m still not sure you should be able to come to the third act turn of a story and think, “hmm… did I miss something here?”
But again, it’s Toews so there is still a lot of greatness here. There’s one chapter that rises high above the rest and gives me the sort of complicated emotional intertangling Toews would turn into her staple, and it’s cool to see her arrive at that. This one’s also unique in that it feels more “real” than the average Toews novel; usually, her worlds exist just slightly adjacent to ours, to the extent of renaming Steinbach so that her novels can stand a little more on their own. Here, however, there’s a whole episode where they meet Graham Greene and there’s (I think??) a satire of Harvey Weinstein there? In addition to being structured around the Winnipeg floods, with a pointed caricature of a local wellness officer. It’s all the sort of commentary I don’t expect for Toews and it’s fun to see it appear in such spirited form.
In any case, it’s fairly protogenic but still certainly a good read. I’m coming around the corner of my Toews reading (I just found A Boy of Good Breeding at a local bookstore which I think completes the collection) and it’s pretty crazy how consistent her writing is if this is the lowest she gets.
Truly, a Miriam Toews’ C is the average author’s A. I started this with the feeling of, “oh, this is certainly an early Toews book” only to check and find out that it was her first! So it’s two-star rating is less a reflection of being “bad” so much as it is a reflection of it being the ghost of better things. I don’t know why I feel the need to justify myself, a two-star rating is still good.
Any given Toews book carries the same ingredients; intergenerational womanhood, first-person narratives obfuscating trauma, a dour Manitoban humor, and a slice of life story that quietly bubbles into personal reflection. There is often someone running away, often a father who’s absent either physically or emotionally, often precocious youths, etc. Her books largely differ in degrees, in what elements are being focused on and how they are focusing them. If “Summer of My Amazing Luck” has any central fault it’s that those ingredients are all present, but nothing quite feels fully cooked.
This undercooked sensation is at its most clear with a pretty central plot point which was so obfuscated that, when it came up in the ending of the book, I couldn’t tell if this was an intentionally late reveal (the sort of thing Toews would go on to do with harrowing effect in Irma Vep and Flying Troutmans), or if this had actually been set up and I totally missed it. On a quick review, there are definitely seeds planted, and the summary on Goodreads fully spells it out, but I am seeing other reviews here who were similarly confused so I am going to at least say the intentionality here is vague. I’ve been pretty checked out of things lately so I am willing to take some of the burden here but I’m still not sure you should be able to come to the third act turn of a story and think, “hmm… did I miss something here?”
But again, it’s Toews so there is still a lot of greatness here. There’s one chapter that rises high above the rest and gives me the sort of complicated emotional intertangling Toews would turn into her staple, and it’s cool to see her arrive at that. This one’s also unique in that it feels more “real” than the average Toews novel; usually, her worlds exist just slightly adjacent to ours, to the extent of renaming Steinbach so that her novels can stand a little more on their own. Here, however, there’s a whole episode where they meet Graham Greene and there’s (I think??) a satire of Harvey Weinstein there? In addition to being structured around the Winnipeg floods, with a pointed caricature of a local wellness officer. It’s all the sort of commentary I don’t expect for Toews and it’s fun to see it appear in such spirited form.
In any case, it’s fairly protogenic but still certainly a good read. I’m coming around the corner of my Toews reading (I just found A Boy of Good Breeding at a local bookstore which I think completes the collection) and it’s pretty crazy how consistent her writing is if this is the lowest she gets.
April 11, 2022
LISH HAD BEEN A LIFER EVEN BEFORE THE TROUBLE STARTED WITH SERENITY PLACE....
We meet Lucy, single, eighteen, mom to young baby Dill. They end up living in the Have-A-Life housing project which is better known as Half-A-Life. Things are tough, money is scarce, living on welfare is not easy. Thankfully, Lucy meets a community of so many different types of women who are literally in the same boat as her....no men in their worlds, kids, no jobs, welfare with all the rules and regulations. Lucy becomes friends with Lish, a mother of four, a seasoned veteran in welfare life, who takes young Lucy under her wing. Face it; these women couldn't function without each other.
Filled with so many different, unique, wonderful characters, funny and hilarious situations, heartbreaking moments, this is a wonderful read. The book is uplifting, not without pain and sorrow, but totally funny and witty. I hated for it to be over!
Miriam Toews is one of my very favorite authors. I have read four of her books already this year. This one should certainly not be missed!!!
We meet Lucy, single, eighteen, mom to young baby Dill. They end up living in the Have-A-Life housing project which is better known as Half-A-Life. Things are tough, money is scarce, living on welfare is not easy. Thankfully, Lucy meets a community of so many different types of women who are literally in the same boat as her....no men in their worlds, kids, no jobs, welfare with all the rules and regulations. Lucy becomes friends with Lish, a mother of four, a seasoned veteran in welfare life, who takes young Lucy under her wing. Face it; these women couldn't function without each other.
Filled with so many different, unique, wonderful characters, funny and hilarious situations, heartbreaking moments, this is a wonderful read. The book is uplifting, not without pain and sorrow, but totally funny and witty. I hated for it to be over!
Miriam Toews is one of my very favorite authors. I have read four of her books already this year. This one should certainly not be missed!!!
October 21, 2018
Fun story! Loved the characters!
June 5, 2024
3.5 stars.
a slow start but i definitely warmed to the characters and their voices. disappointed to not have enjoyed this as much as i enjoyed Women Talking by Toews but they can't all be winners!
a slow start but i definitely warmed to the characters and their voices. disappointed to not have enjoyed this as much as i enjoyed Women Talking by Toews but they can't all be winners!
April 12, 2023
i rly like her writing BUT i felt that the plot was a bit all over the place… like why did they go halfway to denver just to come home? i think that part was pointless ALAS i did enjoy the description of Half-a-life
August 27, 2023
Toews at her prime.
January 30, 2021
I love Miriam Toews's writing - funny, clever and authentic. She has the ability to introduce you to a community you have no experience with. She helps you to understand that community and the people who typically live together within it.
In this story, that community of people are all "on the dole"; they're a group of down & out women and their kids. Each woman has her own story, grievances, quirks and dreams. The main character is very young - she lost her mom when she was 15, tore loose from her dad and ended up having her son at 18. She has a fraught relationship with her father and is trying to figure out her place in the world.
It's a good read, and for those of us who live in privilege, it's an important read.
In this story, that community of people are all "on the dole"; they're a group of down & out women and their kids. Each woman has her own story, grievances, quirks and dreams. The main character is very young - she lost her mom when she was 15, tore loose from her dad and ended up having her son at 18. She has a fraught relationship with her father and is trying to figure out her place in the world.
It's a good read, and for those of us who live in privilege, it's an important read.
September 27, 2011
I enjoyed this book, although there were times - especially close to the start of it all - that I didn't think that I would. Miriam Toews does write a good book thankfully and one usually cares enough about her characters that you do want to know how it all pans out for them. I do think she's a little too fond of road trips though. They seem to feature prominently in a few of her stories! Then again, there's something cathartic about hitting the road...
Of course when you start this story, you really wonder how the summer was going to ever be one of amazing luck. Single motherhood in social assistance surrounded by a seemingly endless supply of crazy neighbors in similar situations AND being stuck in a wet spring in Winnipeg doesn't add up to amazing! But, like all good stories, it's the unfolding of events - despite the circumstances - that make it into one. That, and the blooming realization that life is really what you make of it, despite all the pitfalls along the way. And sometimes because of the pitfalls along the way. It's seeing things in the now and making those lemons into lemonade that can make a life amazing.
What I liked is how Miriam Toews carries you along with Lucy as she works through her difficulties. It's the dawning realization that it really does link back to how much she had been silently grieving for her Mother's love and wisdoms after her untimely death and how her mother isn't really necessarily gone if she can still 'live' through her memories and act out according to how her mom would have seen it all. How her mother had given her the gift to see the positive side of everything. Her mother was a huge force in her life and filling the void of her passing was never realized until Lucy discovered that her mother's thoughts and wisdoms were always there in her own heart and could be brought back to share with her own child whenever she needed them. And knowing that, knowing that she could always reach her mother's spirit, allowed Lucy to start to heal and grow.
It's a really feel good story. And it's a story about growing up and the simple act of doing so. It's all about seeing your own life as amazing. Despite what others would see it as. It's all there for the taking. Good! Luck!
Of course when you start this story, you really wonder how the summer was going to ever be one of amazing luck. Single motherhood in social assistance surrounded by a seemingly endless supply of crazy neighbors in similar situations AND being stuck in a wet spring in Winnipeg doesn't add up to amazing! But, like all good stories, it's the unfolding of events - despite the circumstances - that make it into one. That, and the blooming realization that life is really what you make of it, despite all the pitfalls along the way. And sometimes because of the pitfalls along the way. It's seeing things in the now and making those lemons into lemonade that can make a life amazing.
What I liked is how Miriam Toews carries you along with Lucy as she works through her difficulties. It's the dawning realization that it really does link back to how much she had been silently grieving for her Mother's love and wisdoms after her untimely death and how her mother isn't really necessarily gone if she can still 'live' through her memories and act out according to how her mom would have seen it all. How her mother had given her the gift to see the positive side of everything. Her mother was a huge force in her life and filling the void of her passing was never realized until Lucy discovered that her mother's thoughts and wisdoms were always there in her own heart and could be brought back to share with her own child whenever she needed them. And knowing that, knowing that she could always reach her mother's spirit, allowed Lucy to start to heal and grow.
It's a really feel good story. And it's a story about growing up and the simple act of doing so. It's all about seeing your own life as amazing. Despite what others would see it as. It's all there for the taking. Good! Luck!
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