How Lucky: A Novel

Written by Will Leitch

Narrated by Graham Halstead

2022 Edgar Award Nominee for Best Novel

“A fantastic novel. . . . You are going to like this a lot.”—Stephen King

“What’s more thrilling than a fictional character speaking to us in a voice we haven’t heard before, a voice so authentic and immediate—think Huck Finn, Holden Caulfield, Mattie Ross—that we suspect it must’ve been there all along, that we somehow managed to miss it? Daniel, the protagonist of Will Leitch’s smart, funny, heartbreaking new novel How Lucky, is just such a voice, and I’m not sure it will ever completely leave my head, or that I want it to.”—Richard Russo

For readers of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and Nothing to See Here, a first novel as suspenseful and funny as it is moving, the unforgettable story of a fiercely resilient young man living with a physical disability, and his efforts to solve a mystery unfolding right outside his door. 

Daniel leads a rich life in the university town of Athens, Georgia. He’s got a couple close friends, a steady paycheck working for a regional airline, and of course, for a few glorious days each Fall, college football tailgates. He considers himself to be a mostly lucky guy—despite the fact that he’s suffered from a debilitating disease since he was a small child, one that has left him unable to speak or to move without a wheelchair. 

Largely confined to his home, Daniel spends the hours he’s not online communicating with irate air travelers observing his neighborhood from his front porch. One young woman passes by so frequently that spotting her out the window has almost become part of his daily routine. Until the day he’s almost sure he sees her being kidnapped...

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Release date: May 11, 2021
• ISBN: 9780063073074

Will Leitch

Will Leitch is the author of the novel How Lucky and a contributing editor at New York magazine and the founder of the late sports website Deadspin. He writes regularly for the New York Times, the Washington Post, The Atlantic, NBC News, CNN, and MLB.com. He lives in Athens, Georgia, with his wife and two sons.

Reviews for How Lucky

[Michelle Green · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Beautifully developed main character, striking insight into a life both alike & unlike mine. Definitely recommend!

[Mary Childerston · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I am going to work at being a braver, kinder and more giving human being because of this book. How lucky I am to have a wonderful daughter who told me about this book. How lucky I am to have been so deeply touched by this book. I am more alive than ever because of this book. What a gift Will Leitch has given us.

[teresatango · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wonderfully narrated! An engaging story that will draw you in from the very 1st sentence.

[Laryssa Green · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was a quick read because once I started I couldn’t put it down. I didn’t know what to expect from this book, it was heartfelt and thrilling but also pulled at your heart strings all the way till the very end!

[Duncan Helms · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wow! Wonderful author’s voice as well as narration. Just loved every minute of this book!

[c Kops · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Wonderful narration but the story just didn’t land right for me. Daniel was a delightful and unique hero, but the book felt forced.

[lisaitri · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wow. This was one of the best books I've read in years.

[Lauren Dean · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book was an absolute joy! I haven’t laughed in a long time while reading a book!

[Chris J · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Heard an F-bomb in the first few minutes. Shut it off.

[jjmann3-873368 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

How Lucky is about Daniel and his witness to a kidnapping outside his house Daniel has SMA (Spinal Muscular Atrophy) and is generally home bound and lives a lonely life save for his sometimes care giver Marjani and friend Travis. I wanted to like the story more than I actually did. It is part Misery, part Rear Window, but I found it incredibly contrived. Police universally are aloof, and Daniel's friends remain absent for fleeting reasons -- despite the fact that everyone knows a kidnapper (who may even be a killer) are out to get him as a witness to his crime. Come on! Daniel's introspection and memento more mindset on having SMA stands as the most endearing part of the book.

[Teacher · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book so much.

It’s not often that you read something truly original, and this book was so fresh in countless ways, from the atypical hero to the unique supporting characters who make up Daniel’s world to the vivid depictions of the Athens football culture.

Loved Daniel’s frank and ultimately upbeat views on life, death, and social media — very glad to have gotten to know this character and his friends!

[Rebecca Byrne · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

3 stars.
Wonderful narration! (I just went and saved about three other books that he helps with). The author conveys an in-depth knowledge of the disease our protagonist is struck with. It’s extremely eye-opening. It’s likely very challenging to write a book that is supposed to be a thriller, with a character who can’t move or talk on his own — especially a character who witnesses a kidnapping. And so, we are introduced to a whole cast of supporting characters that quite literally make up half of the story’s content. In one of the rare cases that I actually read the synopsis first, I came here for the thriller, the kidnapping and the chase… so for that aspect alone, I was slightly disappointed with all of the added fluff. (I even feel horrible for saying that which is not how you want to feel after reading a book and giving an honest review.) Ugh… I wanted to love this more.

[Barry J Moore · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

3 days later, can't remember the plot!
The end 2021.

[Angeles Maurino · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The book was great. It was a great read , I’m glad I read it

[S. Jill O'Roark · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this book with great characters and a good storyline.

[Tracey Lough · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

So much fun, and great disability rep. I loved this!

[Jackmatthew · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The book was extraordinary. It was an extraordinary perused , I'm happy I understood it

[dianekeenoy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An incredible inspiring book! Not to be missed!

[shazjhb · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Sweet book. Sad but with a nice message. Nice characters

[twink_2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really like the simple unassuming cover of Will Leitch's new novel How Lucky. But the real reason I picked it up was Stephen King's blurb - "A fantastic novel. . . . You are going to like this a lot." And yes, I really, really did!Daniel lives in Athens, Georgia, works for an airline answering customer issues online, goes to football games on the weekend and hangs out with his best friend Travis. One morning while out on his porch, he sees what he thinks is a kidnapping of a student who walks by daily. But did he? She seemed to get in willingly. But then Ai-Chin is reported as missing. Daniel attempts to let the police know about what he's seen, but....And a lot of that but has to do with the fact that Daniel has a degenerative physical disability - SMA - Spinal Muscular Atrophy. The police officer sent to talk to him, can't seem to see beyond the wheelchair. Daniel's concerns and information are blithely explained and written off. What a fabulous lead character! I loved Daniel's voice, his sense of humor and his refusal to define himself with his condition. The supporting cast is just as great - everyone needs friends like Travis and Marjani.I learned so much about SMA through Daniel. The hard, cold facts but also the human emotions, attitudes, strengths and joys that Daniel embodies. He considers himself to be lucky. You'll need to have a tissue handy in more than one chapter. And maybe see your own life through his lens.Back to Ai-Chin - she's still missing and Daniel decides to investigate online. And I'm going to leave it there.....I chose to listen to How Lucky. With such an engaging lead character, the reader needed to be just right. I'm happy to say that Graham Halstead was the perfect choice. His voice is clear and both easy and pleasant to listen to. His voice matched the mental image I had created for Daniel. There's lots of movement in his voice, capturing Daniel's thoughts, emotions and interactions and bringing them to life. Halstead captures the overall tone of the book easily. I've said it before and I'll say it again - I find myself more drawn into a tale by listening. And that is definitely the case with How Lucky.

[juniestars · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I really wanted to like this book but it was a little slow moving for me.

[twinkley_3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was a compelling and enjoyable read. I loved Daniel's honest and blunt voice about his disease and view on life. I also liked the side characters in this. The mystery part was ok and wasn't a big part of the book till the end. I think this would have been a 5 star read for me if it had been longer and if the mystery part hadn't taken over the ending, which could also have been less abrupt