Patricia Wood writes a truthful book, Lottery, about how people live life and what they value. Although many people will try to deny it, they were given a chance to ask for help from a “normal” person or a person with a mental disability, 9 times out of 10 they would choose the “normal” one. Lottery is a book that shows the other side of that interaction. Wood shows it hurts the feelings of the people with disabilities when they are looked down upon and how much they really can and are able to understand.

Perry L. Crandall is a man with a mental disability who must learn to live on his own after his grandmother, that is also his roommate, dies. She has been training him for years to live on his own. Gram leaves her home to him in her will. Although Perry’s brothers trick him into selling the house for very little money and now he must buy an apartment. He has to learn to survive alone in an apartment above his job yet still very close to his best friend Keith. He continues his weekly schedule and one week the unthinkable happens-- He wins the lottery and becomes instantly rich. People start to treat him like a celebrity at his job. They no longer avoid eye contact or ask other people questions. But not all is well after winning the money; his brothers want all the money and will do anything to get it.

The book has a strong message about not judging people at first glance. Many times in the book Perry notes that people talk more slowly to him than others even though he would be able to understand what they were saying. Also, customers at the store where he works avoid asking him questions because they don’t believe he is capable of answering them Even though he is the most qualified person in the store to be asking and helping the customer.

The story is a loving and a fast easy read. It is trouble-free to follow and focuses on the plot. My favorite characters are Perry and Keith. I like Keith because he is very protective of Perry and I find that charming. I enjoy Perry because he is a lovable and easy going kind of person. Whenever the story gets serious, the author usually uses a comic relief to lighten the mood on a serious topic.

All in all the book is an engaging read with flashbacks into the main characters’ lives that evoke emotion. I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves heartfelt emotion. This would also be a good read for anyone who enjoys boats and lakes. The main characters are very interested in boat fixing and sailing. This is definitely a book you should stop what you are doing and start reading, and once you start there is no chance you will want to stop.