-
2008 shortlist
Patricia Wood's website and blog
http://patriciawoodauthor.com
(link opens in a new window)read Matthew Rhys's review
of Lotteryother reviews
(links open in new windows) -
Lottery
Perry’s IQ is only 76, but he’s not stupid. His grandmother taught him everything he needs to know to survive. She taught him to write things down so he won’t forget them. She taught him to play the lottery every week. And, most important, she taught him who to trust. When Gram dies, Perry is left orphaned and bereft at the age of thirty-one. Then he wins twelve million dollars with his weekly Washington State Lottery ticket and finds he has more family than he know what to do with…
___
Patricia Wood reads from LotteryPatricia Wood
is a PhD student at the University of Hawaii, focusing on education, disability and diversity. Lottery is inspired by her work, as well as by a number of events in her life, including her father winning the Washington State Lottery. She lives with her husband aboard a sailboat moored in Ko’Olina, Hawaii. This is her first novel. Patricia has one son, Andrew, who lives in Everett, where Lottery is set.
Patricia Wood's q & a
What sparked Lottery?
Although most think Lottery was inspired by my father’s lottery win, in reality it was mostly inspired by my work in disability studies and my ex-brother in law who has Down syndrome. And then there was Perry’s voice that spoke to me out of my subconscious who wanted to tell me a story...
Where and when is the novel set?
Lottery is set in some undefined present time in the waterfront town of Everett, Washington, USA. In reality it could be set anywhere in the world.
Do you have a favourite character in the novel?
My favorite character is Keith. I knew so many struggling Vietnam veterans who were damaged, I knew I had to include one in my novel. When readers write me — they all seem to know a Keith and his troubles resonate with them.
What's your favourite children's book and why?
Only one? It would be have to be Black Beauty. Told in first person with an unusual narrator, it allowed me to understand a unique perspective and demonstrated to me how empathy for circumstances can be created. It made me care deeply. Much like my intention in Lottery.
your comments
Please log in or register below to submit your comments.
schmitt
May 22nd, 2009 at 06:39:09 hrs
“Lottery is a compelling and beautifully written story that will show you how it's possible to have a low score on an intelligence test and still be a genius at understanding other people's feelings and motivations. And you'll learn that having above-average intelligence may mean less than finding happiness with yourself, and the people around you. Lottery is a novel, but it reads like it really happened, right next door to you.” ( research essay , History Thesis and english research paper )
schmitt
May 22nd, 2009 at 06:40:08 hrs
“In Lottery, Patricia Wood has created an altogether endearing character swept up in the most extreme of situations. A testament to the transcendence of friendship and the redemptive power of love, this startling novel is at once funny and poignant. Fans of Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and Daniel Keyes’ Flowers for Algernon would do well to pick up this captivating debut. I loved it!” ( characters essay and Law Thesis )
Irene
Oct 11th, 2008 at 22:52:43 hrs
Perry's world is an interesting blend of keen observation, acquired learning and intuitive feeling. He may not always know why something is happening but he is able to make a form of sense of it quicker than many others can. Perry, or Per to his best friends, is able to work out what is right for him even if some of his logic is foreign to others. My bookmark enjoyed this novel: I like where it finished and the neat sense of hope for the future, despite some sad aspects to the journey.
Carol D
Oct 8th, 2008 at 22:09:51 hrs
I love lottery, it is very witty, but also quite sad, it is very much a book of our times and says a lot about the get rich quick debt advice ridden culture we now live in.