Born Under a Lucky Moon

I wanted to become a part of this wonderfully crazy family. With all the twists and turns this is truly a journey you wont soon forget! It is a book that you will pick up and not put down until you have exhaled your last laugh, and cried your eyes dry.

Born Under a Lucky Moon is a charming, hilarious, feel-good story which had me hooked on page one. I fell in love with a town, a tavern and a cast of lovable characters that I now think of as friends. The book is rich with emotions and surprise events that create wonderful chaos, but be warned... this book may cause laugh-out-loud moments at inappropriate times. I am giving this book to the people I love. Beverly

Born Under a Lucky Moon is a book that pretty much covers all that can be covered within life: love, marriage, careers, humor, crazy family life, insecurities and, oh yeah - murder. I have to first off say that this author truly amazes me. Her writing voice and technique are insanely engaging and real. Ms. Precious brings to life the story of one woman who has had an anything but normal life, since the day she was conceived. I was very quickly and easily absorbed within the story of Jeannie Thompson and her many trials and tribulations from youth through adulthood. Born Under a Lucky Moon is told in an alternating time frame between Jeannies youth and her present-time adulthood. These transitions are smooth and incredible. The way in which Ms. Precious leaves the reader hanging right before making the transitions are painful - but in a way that left me not wanting to stop reading to see what the next thing that was going to happen was. The authors witty dialog is ingenious and left me laughing out loud several times. Just to give you a taste, here is a small piece from page 198: Grandma tipped her head down and looked at me over her bifocals. Oh, yes, she said, the fifth one. What in the world were your parents thinking? They probably werent thinking, I thought. I was conceived a few years after the Pill hit the market. Mom had said she was too busy with the three little kids to get to the doctor for the prescription. Thats when Lucy was born. Then Mom said that she got the birth control prescription but couldnt find the time to get to the pharmacy. Thats when I was born. Dad got a vasectomy after that. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Yes, Jeannie has a crazy family, but dont we all? I found each and every family member to be lovable and wonderful. I just wanted to wrap them each up in a giant hug - well, except for the grandmother. Not so much feeling the love there. This is a story that delves into a family who is loving, caring and always there for one another. Things dont always go smoothly - okay, hardly ever go smoothly - but they are such an amazingly close family. Jeannie is scared to introduce her long-time boyfriend (who just recently popped the question to her) to her family, however, for fear that their zest for life will scare him off. This presents some major conflict and when her job begins to spiral out of control, Jeannie feels herself unraveling. Though I liked the character of Jeannie, there were times that I wanted to grab a hold of her and give her a good shake. She does everything imaginable to keep her boyfriend, Aidan, from any and all contact with any of her family members. Jeannie comes across as very ashamed of her family - though I dont think this is truly the case, she just harbors a ton of fear and is unable to trust in love completely. It probably doesnt help that she spent her entire life with people constantly commenting on her and her familys goings on. Family dynamics galore and a nosy town - complete with a very interesting minister, amazing love and support and true laugh-out-loud hilarity as well as touching moments that will warm the heart. Born Under a Lucky Moon is, simply put, an amazing and not-to-be-missed novel. Other than my irksomeness of Jeannie at times, there truly is nothing that I can say against this book. Even that has an important role within the story, so I cant complain about her, if she was all cheery, this would definitely be a different story. Do I recommend Born Under a Lucky Moon?! You are darned right I do!! This is the perfect story to lighten ones day and engage the reader from beginning to end. My personal experience with the ending of the story? A huge smile, as I closed the book after reading the final words.

Born Under a Lucky Moon by Dana Precious - a Goodreads First Read free giveaway book won on February 2nd, received on February 15th and previously made-aware-of through promotions on sheknows.com and womansday.com Born Under a Lucky Moon is a novel told in the first-person in a back and forth, then-and-now prose of the teenage and middle-age life of Jeannie Thompson. The main theme of the book is her boyfriend, Aidans, attempt to marry Jeannie and be introduced to her Midwestern, dysfunctional but very loving family (a bit like the Hepburns or the Marchs from Little Women, but somewhat more off-kilter) and is told in the style of Jeannie telling Aidan stories of her family to keep him at bay from the onslaught that is Them. The action and plot moves much in the style of the Thompson family - quickly and crisply. It had ended a little over the top, but given the context, it was to be expected and fairly apt. What I loved best were the aside/long-story-short stories about a family incident or a persons background, such as Jeannies great-grandparents. I also really connected with the familiar quips about Midwest life: regional product brands, the Michigan map as being the palm of your hand, radio stations, squirrels, wedding traditions, and outdoor recreation. As Tom, a Thompson family friend, quips, family is like a warm and comforting curse. And, in looking at this book, its a real and unabashed account of how careerwomen regard their families through memories both bitter and dear - no matter how you excuse or cope it away, your family is both the maker and cruelest judge of character.

Enjoyable tale!

Being born and raised in Grand Rapids, and taking many trips to Lake Michigan, this book (set in and around Lake Michigan and Muskegon) just called to me! What a fun read! I laughed out loud, shook my head, cringed, and sympathizes with the shenanigans and craziness of this wild, loving family! It was not great literature, but boy, it sure was delightful entertainment! Definitely a summer read......heck, a good read anytime!!! Get comfy because once you start youll want to continue reading till you have savory the love of Muskegon, Michigans Thompson family!

**Originally reviewed for [...]** Reviewed by Lauren Kirk Born Under a Lucky Moon is a pleasant novel that acts as a hilarious reminder of how important family is, even if they are crazy and full of mischief! The beginning of the story was a bit slow, as it seemed Dana Precious was giving readers the time to absorb the mini family history before them. The chapters switched between past and present, which I found enjoyable. The notations at the top of each chapter really allowed for the story to remain intact and focused, and not at all choppy. Jeannie Thompson is a colorful, put together, and successful film executive who lives in Los Angeles, yet hails from a tiny town in Michigan. In spite of leaving her small town roots behind her, the Thompson family is never far from Jeannies mind or life. Jeannies job and life are hectic, and it is obvious from the start of the book that her life will never be anything resembling normal. When her boyfriend Aidan proposes, Jeannie immediately freezes and tells him she has to think about it, as she is unsure of how he will feel about her family. Suspense ensues while a fun tale of antics, love, and sheer absurdity comes pouring out little by little. The chapters are broken up between Jeannies tales of her past and the events unfolding in the present. I really liked this method of telling a story within a story, and found myself enjoying the parts about the Thompson family more than those dealing with Jeannies present. Jeannie is likeable, dry, and humorous. The entire Thompson clan is impossible to pin down with a few words - they are definitely interesting! While most of the events Jeannie describes are highly far fetched, the story is so fun, that it doesnt even matter if any of these events could ever happen or not. Born Under a Lucky Moon is light, humorous and heartfelt, even if it is a bit lengthy for this type of fiction, at just over 415 pages. Dana Precious leaves no loose ends. The end of the novel is easily the best part - there are no unnecessary characters or overly descriptive passages. The book has a terrific flow and the end result is well worth the slow start. Jeannie is a triumphant character and the sense of family and the levels of love (and fun) the Thompson family has for each other seeps off the page.

Written in chapters from past to present, back and forth, Jeannie Thompson tells her story...and quite a story it is. Her large family in Michigan is a close, albeit wild, bunch of characters. However, they always pull together for Jeannie and each other in all of lifes craziness. With a good career, Jeannie also finds a good man. Afraid to introduce him to her quirky family, out of fear they may overwhelm him, she tries to avoid it. She really need not worry, though. Their zest for life, easy way of dealing with things, and their ability to be true to themselves make them, and Jeannie, what and who a family should be. And that is what matters.

Having grown up in this wonderful town, I was excited to read and reminisce. Dana is such a fabulous writer that I quickly got hooked into her story and could not put the book down! Thank God we have a snow day today so that I can sit by the fire and finish the book. I really cant wait to find out what is in store for us next. I anxiously await her next novel (better get going Dana, Ive been looking for a long time for this good read...dont make me wait that long again please!)

Jeannie Thompson, a marketing executive for Oxford Pictures in Hollywood, has a problem. Her wonderful boyfriend Aidan has asked her to marry him, but shes hiding something. She has a family. A crazy family in Muskegon, Michigan that just might preclude her from being wife material. She wasnt the first time around. Despite loving him like crazy, she refuses to give him an answer. She explains to him by beginning to tell him the story about her familys crazy double wedding. Along the way, she comes to terms with the family and the hometown in Michigan that makes her who she is. I make no secret about loving my home state of Michigan. There was no way I was turning down this book. In Born Under a Lucky Moon, I found a book almost as familiar as a trip back home. Toss in a healthy dose of crazy family antics and I was set for several afternoons of reading pleasure. Dana Precious made Jeannies family come alive. They had so much personality. I could relate so easy to the nuances of living in a larger family. With each chapter set in Michigan, I felt closer to her. It wasnt just her growing up years in Michigan, though. I could relate to living so far away from home. Roanoke is by no means Los Angeles, but its still an entirely different culture. I really enjoyed my time spent with Jeannie and her family. Reading Born Under a Lucky Moon made me feel at home without being homesick. Reading it was like a celebration of my roots as I enjoyed the antics of the Thompson clan. Dana Precious has such a wonderful sense of humor that flows so well into writing. I really enjoyed this book. If youre looking for a fun beach read for this year, pick up Born Under a Lucky Moon. Even better, plan your vacation along Lake Michigan while youre at it. You may never want to leave.