THE HIGHER POWER OF LUCKY by Susan Patron

1. Bibliographic data

Patron, Susan. 2006. The Higher Power of Lucky. Ill. by Matt Phelan. New York: Simon & Schuster. 1-4169-0194-9.

2. Plot summary

In this piece of young adult literature, a ten year-old girl named Lucky spends her days concentrating on how to find her "higher power." She hears about others discovering their higher power as she eavesdrops on "twelve step" meetings, and wishes she could find her power just as recovering gamblers, smokers, and drinkers have. When Lucky begins to believe that her guardian, Brigitte, will soon leave her ward and return to France, Lucky hits "rock bottom" and runs away during a sand storm. Hiding out in a dugout near her town of Hard Pan, Lucky discovers her higher power as she releases her dead mother's ashes into the wind. Brigitte adopts Lucky as her own daughter and Lucky stop eavesdropping on the meetings.

3. Critical Analysis

The Higher Power of Lucky, a delightful tale about a young girl trying to find her place in the world, is a beautiful story with an endearing protagonist. I am very glad that I chose to read this book, as I found myself smiling and chuckling with every turn of a page.

In The Higher Power of Lucky, Susan Patron gives the reader the role of confidant. We listen to Lucky as she introduces us to her town of Hard Pan, and we learn about the different odd ball characters that live there. We get to hear her thoughts and opinions about Dot, Sammy, Brigitte, Miles, and Lincoln, and Lucky tells us of her fear of being rejected by Brigitte and her innate desire to discover her higher power. All of these ideas are related through Brigitte's thoughts, her conversations with other characters, and the actions of characters. For example, we learn about Brigitte's annoyance with Miles and her own frustration through their conversation in the following passage:

"'Miles, get a life. You already know the story by heart, and it's boring.'
'No, it's not! The part about the Snort is good, and so is the part where he finds his mother in the end.'
'The bird is an idiot snotwad,' said Lucky. 'He doesn't even know' --Lucky took a breath--"he doesn't even realize that his mother in in jail!'"

This passage tells us how frustrated Lucky is with the idea of Brigitte leaving her, as Lucky acts out against sweet little Miles and says some cruel things about his incarcerated mother. This passage also portrays an attitude and vocabulary indicative of a child of Lucky's age.

Lucky deals with a conflict that affects most human beings -- needing to belong and wanting to be cared for. She mourns the loss of her mother and is very afraid that Brigitte will leave the desert life in California and return to France and its great cheese. After she has run away from all her troubles, Lucky's character grows and changes as she discovers her higher power:

"Suddenly, a breeze came, a little afterthought of the storm, as if, Lucky, thought, some Higher Power was paying attention and knew what was needed. She walked to the edge of the ring of people and flung the remains of her mother up into the air, and everyone watched, singing, as the breeze lifted and carried them out into the great waiting desert."

In this scene, Lucky discovers her higher power and does the right things by letting go of her mother. In the above passage, we see Lucky grow up a little bit. In the next chapter, Lucky plugs up the hole in the Found Object Wind Chime Museum and Visitor center, showing us that she no longer needs to search for her higher power -- she has moved on.

This plot tells a great story and I think children will definitely enjoy it. Lucky is such a wonderful, curious, and delightful little girl, and the way in which Patron writes made me feel like Lucky was my own friend. Lucky is always doing something fun, be it revamping her survival pack, hanging out with Lincoln, talking to interesting characters like Sammy, or creating science exhibits and helpful lists for guardians and birth mothers.

The plot is original and fresh. I have never read about someone searching for their "higher power," let alone a little girl with such an awesome sense of humor. I feel like this story could have actually happened, as many young children seek to belong and find meaning in their life -- especially those who have experienced tragedy and lose such as Lucky. I feel like there is a basis for cause and effect in this story -- Lucky never does anything that I find to be confusing or out of balance with the story. The climax, Lucky releasing her mother's ashes, fits perfectly in with the story and is refreshing response to the preceding occurrences in the plot. I found the plot to be well-constructed, 100% believable and entertaining.

This story takes place in Hard Pan, California, pop. 43 (minus Lucky's mom, but Lucky didn't want anyone to use subtraction on the population sign). The author doesn't indicate the time, but the feeling is that it occurred within the past 15 years at the most. I love how the desert setting doesn't act as a hindrance to Lucky's imagination. She doesn't feel confined by the town or its location in the middle of nowhere:

"Past the town the desert rolled out and out like a pale green ocean, as far as you could see, to the Coso foothills, then behind them, the huge black Coso Range like the broken edge of a giant cup that held tiny Hard Pan at is bottom. The sky arched up forever, nothing but a sheet of blue, hiding zillions of stars and planets and galaxies that were up there all the time, even when you couldn't see them. It was kind of peaceful and so gigantic it made your brain feel rested. It made you feel like you could become anything you wanted, like you were filled up with nothing but hope."

Patron gives the reader the sense that these are Lucky's thoughts about her home, and these poetic descriptions portray the desert as a beautiful, magnificent metaphor for all of life's possibilities.

The themes of needing to belong and finding meaning in life ring through The Higher Power of Lucky. As Lucky tries to recover from her mother's death, she struggles with the possibility of Brigitte leaving her and being on her own. Lucky discovers her higher power when she releases her mother's ashes in the desert wind, even without the knowledge of Brigitte's plans to adopt her. In the end, Lucky has grown up and done the right thing -- letting go of her mother -- without even knowing her own future.

I found Patron's style to be very appropriate for this book and subject. She is straightforward, and the dialogue is natural and suited to characters, as evidenced in the quote used earlier. There was a healthy balance between narrative and dialogue -- I never noticed an overabundance of either. Patron created a mood very akin to that mind of a ten year-old, evidenced in the title of Lucky's manual, which she would write in order that future generations of women would understand how to treat little girls:

"Certified Course in How to Raise a Girl for Guardians and Actual Mothers with Diploma"

Because we read from Lucky's point of view, I think we really appreciate the events of the book moreso than we would have if it had been through Lincoln's or Brigitte's view. We would have never understood the importance of Lucky's releasing of the ashes if we had not been by her side through her experiences every step of the way.

This book was wonderful, and I deem it appropriate for any age. This book ranks among my top five for this course. I loved it, and so will you.

4. Review Excerpts

"When Lucky's mother is electrocuted and dies after a storm, Lucky's absentee father calls his ex-wife, Brigitte, to fly over from France to take care of the child. Two years later, the 10-year-old worries that Brigitte is tired of being her guardian and of their life in Hard Pan (pop. 42) in the middle of the California desert. While Lucky's best friend ties intricate knots and the little boy down the road cries for attention, she tries to get some control over her life by restocking her survival kit backpack and searching for her Higher Power. This character-driven novel has an unusually complicated backstory, and a fair amount of exposition. Yet, its quirky cast and local color help to balance this fact, and the desert setting is fascinating. Lucky's tendency to jump to conclusions is frustrating, but her struggle to come to terms with her mother's death and with her new life ring true. Phelan's cover and line drawings are simple and evocative, a perfect complement to the text. Fans of novels by Deborah Wiles and Katherine Hannigan will be happy to meet Lucky." - School Library Journal

"Lucky, age 10, lives in tiny Hard Pan, California (population 43), with her dog and the young French woman who is her guardian. With a personality that may remind some readers of Ramona Quimby, Lucky, who is totally contemporary, teeters between bravado--gathering insect specimens, scaring away snakes from the laundry--and fear that her guardian will leave her to return to France. Looking for solace, Lucky eavesdrops on the various 12-step meetings held in Hard Pan (of which there are plenty), hoping to suss out a "higher power" that will see her through her difficulties. Her best friend, Lincoln, is a taciturn boy with a fixation for tying knots; another acquaintance, Miles, seems a tiresome pest until Lucky discovers a secret about his mother. Patron's plotting is as tight as her characters are endearing. Lucky is a true heroine, especially because she's not perfect: she does some cowardly things, but she takes pains to put them to rights. " - Booklist

5. Connections

Related Books:

Lord, Cynthia. 2006. Rules. New York: Scholastic. 0-4394-4382-2.

Patron, Susan. 1991. Burgoo Stew. Ill. by Mike Shenon. New York: Orchard Books. 0-5310-5916-2.

Patron, Susan. 1992. Five Bad Boys, Billy Que, and the Dustdobbin. Ill. by Mike Shenon. New York: Orchard Books. 0-5310-5989-8.

Patron, Susan. 1994. Dark Cloud Strong Breeze. Ill. by Peter Catalanotto. New York: Orchard Books. 0-5310-6815-3.

Patron, Susan. 1995. Maybe Yes, Maybe No, Maybe Maybe. Ill. by Dorothy Donahue. New York: Yearling. 0-4404-0969-1.