Some Luck
 First edition | |
| Author | Jane Smiley |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Jacket design by Kelly Blair |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Novel |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
Publication date | October 7, 2014 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print Hardcover |
| Pages | 416 pp (first edition, hardcover) |
| ISBN | 978-0307700315 (first edition, hardcover) |
Some Luck is a 2014 novel by Jane Smiley. It is the first in a trilogy of novels about an Iowa family over the course of generations.[1] It was longlisted for the 2014 National Book Award.[2]
Summary
Beginning in 1920 on an Iowa farm, with each chapter of the novel covering a single year, the story follows the Langdon family over three decades as children are born, grow up, and go on their own adventures and facing various challenges.
Reception
The reviews have been generally favorable, with the Washington Post concluding that "Smiley delivers a straightforward, old-fashioned tale of rural family life in changing times. Her no-muss, no-fuss storytelling, if unsurprising, is also frequently subtle, wry and moving."[3] The New York Times review said that 'Some Luck' was "...very skillfully conceived, an elegant solution to the historical novelist’s problem of how to raise the big barn that is the past without relying too much on power tools or hired help."[4]
Footnotes
- ^ Neary, Lynn (October 5, 2014). "For Her First Trilogy, Jane Smiley Returns To Iowa, 'Where The Roots Are'". NPR Books. NPR. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
- ^ "National Book Foundation listing for Jane Smiley's Some Luck". Retrieved March 27, 2015.
- ^ Sayers, Valerie (October 6, 2014). "Washington Post Book Review of 'Some Luck,' by Jane Smiley". Washington Post. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
- ^ Elie, Paul (November 7, 2014). "New York Times Book Review of Jane Smiley's 'Some Luck'". New York Times. Retrieved March 27, 2015.