Daniel is a 26 year old living with a progressive genetic disorder – SMA (spinal muscular atrophy) – that has confined him to a wheelchair for most of his life.
Despite his disability, which is similar to ALS, that has rendered him unable to walk, speak, or even cough, Daniel considers himself lucky. He has a lifelong best friend who treats him as a regular guy, a job as a customer service representative for a regional airline, and a Pakistani immigrant caretaker with whom he has developed a great bond and who provides him with round-the-clock care.
Daniel lives in Athens, Georgia – a college town he has chosen for its walkability, culture and eclectic residents – where he goes to football tailgates and plays board games at a local downtown bar. After wrapping up his work shift responding to irate air travel complaints on social media, Daniel watches people walk by from his front porch.
One morning, he witnesses a college student climb into a stranger’s tan Camaro on his street and later learns about a Chinese international student who went missing. Daniel begins to piece together this mystery and does not let his physical limitations stop him in his search for answers.
Suspenseful and moving, this is an eye-opening story about what it’s like for someone to live with a disability: his daily routine, how he is be perceived by the outside world, and his wit and kindness that he may only communicate on a computer screen. On social media, Daniel is able to live the kind of life that is denied him.
The mystery portion of the book is a bit uninspired and takes a backseat to Daniel himself – a witty and resilient young man who is trying to live as normal of a life as possible.
Leitch drew inspiration from his son’s friend, who was diagnosed with SMA as a toddler, and Daniel’s character is written with much compassion and understanding.
https://www.amazon.com/How-Lucky-Novel-Will-Leitch/dp/0063073099
Alexandra (Sasha) Schwank 