Born Under a Lucky Moon - Dana Precious

Born Under a Lucky Moon marks the debut novel of author Dana Precious. And I really hope she's at work on her second, because I loved this book!

Jeannie Thompson and her four siblings grew up in the town of North Muskegon, Michigan. Jeannie is in her late thirties, very successful in the film industry and has a boyfriend, Aidan, that she loves very much. It is when Aidan asks her marry him, that Jeannie's tightly held life begins to unravel. How can she explain to Aidan that...

"My family isn't like your family. our family seems to have everything under control at all times. But stuff just happens to my family. I think of it as really funny, but apparently other people don't. Like Walker (Jeannie's ex-husband), or most of the other spouses in my family. A lot of them are ex-spouses now. My family seems to be very trying on the people we love."

When Aidan asks for an example, she begins...

"This is just one story of my family. It starts with a long-planned wedding on a Saturday, followed by a surprise wedding on Sunday. It ends with a murder and a sex scandal. Like every relationship in every family, this story doesn't reside in the black and white of right and wrong, it resides in the gray area called love."

Now really - how could you not want to delve into the pages of a book with an opening like that?

Born Under a Lucky Moon alternates between 1986 and the present 2006. Each story is equally addicting, but the story of the 1986 weddings had me actually laughing out loud. Precious has created wonderfully warm, funny, loving, quirky characters that you can't help but love. As Tom the handyman says...

"I didn't say you weren't all crazy. But I've never seen a family pull for each other so much."

And this is the part of the story that really shines. The love between the family members is tangible and incredibly heartwarming. Through thick and thin, crises and joys, each of them is there for the others. The present day tale in 1986 is just as charming. I found myself reading 'just one more chapter' late at night in order to get back to 'the other story'.

A really strong debut novel, one I absolutely recommend! It's the perfect summer beach read. Book clubs might enjoy this novel as well - a reading guide is available. Read an excerpt of Born Under a Lucky Moon. You can find Dana on Twitter or maybe in North Muskegon, where she's originally from!