Summer of My Amazing Luck: A Novel

I really enjoyed this book! It is the second I have read by Toews, the first being "A Complicated Kindness", which I also gave 4 stars. The characters (single mothers on welfare and others who live in a reduced income housing complex in Winnipeg) are described in such vivid detail- but not the depth of description that can draw away from the main story line. I easily developed mental pictures of each of the main characters in this book, based on Toews' development of the characters. The characters are all very lovable in their own quirky ways. Additionally, the story line may have seemed a bit unbelievable in the truest sense of the word if written by anyone else, but the plot flowed nicely and the side stories truly added to the entire book. I laughed, I felt sympathetic to these young women. I must also admit that I have lived in both Grand Forks and Fargo, North Dakota cities on I-29 and referenced in the book; thus, I particularly enjoyed those references. This is a book that I picked up and didn't set down until I had finished it. Highly recommended!

Lucy, the first person narrator, and Lish are unwed mothers living in public housing in Winnipeg, Manitoba, a place where Fargo is considered the warm south. Lucy does not know the father of her child because "if you eat a whole can of beans how can you tell which one gave you gas." There are so many unfathered children in the building that their version of the alphabet song is "ABCDEFGHIJKalimony please". Both Lucy and Lish have difficult relationships with conventional respectable unsupportive (in the emotional sense) fathers of their own. These relationships form a faint thread of a plot, although the novel is largely made up of the intersecting stories of the other mothers in the building.I was reminded of Adrian Leblanc's serious non-fiction "Random Family." That's a great book but Toew's is better, and actually contains more information about the singles mother's predicament, and offers more insight into her motivation, as well as being hilariously funny..Once again we have a great Canadian female writer. Why is Canada the only country where a list of the top five writers cannot be made up that is not predominantly female?

A quick and amusing read. Probably a bit shallow on the heavy topic that was chosen. A missed opportunity I suppose to focus so hard on the one relationship...

Fun, beach/poolside read. Good women characters.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and, in fact, had a hard time putting it down. The characters are wonderful and quirky and sad and funny, all at the same time. Miriam is a wonderful writer. I highly recommend An Uncomplicated Kindness as well.

It was amazing. Unbelievably good. Prose was clean. Sarcastic humor and wit. I want to be friends with all the characters in this book. Sing Dylan kicks butt.

Toewes is a master of prose that just sings the sweetest, heartbreaking song. It simultaneously fills you up and empties you out, leaving your mouth agape and your heart grateful.

Story involved an unwed mother who thinks her children's father is still in love with her. The problem with the story is that it was a one-night stand and the man stole the woman's wallet besides leaving her lovesick and pregnant. I stopped caring about the characters after decisions like this.It was painful, but I read until the finish I was not rewarded by the ending either. Not at all.

Got this book for class and it is actually one of the best books I've read

Great to get it in the post. A most efficient service- Thank you.