People laugh at me when I tell them I know I will win the lottery someday. I really do think that. It might not happen, but I believe it will. When I finished reading the novel “Lottery” by Patricia Wood recently, I knew I had to keep on believing.

The engaging book follows the trials and tribulations of Perry L. Crandall, who continually reminds readers that he isn’t retarded because his IQ score is 76, which is one point higher than the level where people are considered. He works at a boat store in Washington state and lives with his grandmother who tells him that his middle initial stands for “Lucky.” Perry has had less than a lucky life.

That all changes when he wins the lottery. Of course, this happens after his grandmother has died, leaving him vulnerable to the bad intentions of the rest of his family. Perry doesn’t help matters by showing too much trust in both family and strangers with their hands out, which leads his co-workers to take action.

I fell in love with Perry immediately. I have several family members who work in special ed, so have seen the wonderful, touching side that he shows so many times. It sounds cliche, but those classified as having a disability often have wonderful abilities that too many people fail to recognize.

I love how Wood brings that part of Perry to the forefront once he wins the money. His contributions to the store where he works brought a smile to my face. On the other hand, I found myself honestly getting mad at Perry’s family even though I knew I was reading a piece of fiction. Wood did a wonderful job making that tragic part of the story as realistic as possible.

With so many things happening around him, Perry still manages to make all the right decisions for his life. They might not be the ones w expect him to make, but they pretty much make sure that everyone gets what they deserve. All things considered, that’s all the luck any of us could ask for.