Lucky Strikes

Historical fiction fans are in for a real treat with this book set in 1934 rural Virginia. At the death of their mother, 14 year old Melia must quickly figure out how to keep her siblings together and prevent a nasty competitor from taking over the family's rundown service station. Salvation comes in the form of Hiram Watts, a drunken drifter who literally tumbles into Melia's life and transforms into the daddy no one knew existed.

Despite the family's hardscrabble life and the setbacks they endure, Lucky Strikes is a heartwarming book filled with distinctive characters and a vivid setting. Narrator Melia will worm her way into readers' hearts with her prickly pragmatism, her sassy attitude and the deep love she holds for her family. A show more slice of Americana that feels more truthful than nostalgic, Lucky Strikes is a great recommendation for teen fans of Richard Peck, Claire Vanderpool, and Jack Gantos. Some swearing and sexual innuendo. show less

Set during the depression, this beautifully written historical fiction novel is about finding family.

The novel begins with the death of Melia’s mother. Melia, her sister Janey, and her brother Earle bury their mom by themselves because they have no one else. Melia doesn’t want them to be split up in foster care, so she knows that she has to come up with a plan. She is a really good mechanic and must find a way to keep their business, Brenda’s Oasis--a gas station, running. The business is run down, and they are barely eating. Mom is dead, and Harley Blevins wants the business. Harley has every gas station around and plenty of money, but he wants ALL of them. He’ll do anything to get this last one, and his meanness is beyond show more mean, it’s evil.

One morning, Hiram Watts, falls off of a passing truck. He’s drunk, smelly, and a hobo. He’ll do. Meet their “father.” Melia gives him room and board if he’ll pretend to be their father so that they aren’t separated by the foster system. Once he cleans up, Hiram, proves to be business savvy. He easily sees that life is too hard for this young teen to handle everything. Little by little, life changes for each of them and even the townspeople begin to change.

I absolutely loved this novel because it’s a beautiful story. Melia has a mouth on her, but she hasn’t had education past the 5th grade and is a very tough person. She can’t show weakness, so she comes across as unloving. Everything she does is for her family, and they know it. They just wait for these mean spells to pass. Janey is the sweet one of the family--wanting to nurture everyone. Earle is the “man of the house,” but he’s very young and his shoulders aren’t quite strong enough to handle their trials. They need an adult, and Hiram steps up to help. Ultimately, it’s not merely their story; it’s the story of the town. In this depression era, life is difficult and loneliness is a companion of many. Community, family, and love pulls the novel to a beautiful ending. show less

Literary Merit: Great
Characterization: Great
Recommended: Highly Recommended
Level: Middle School and up

This is a well crafted tale of an orphaned teen girl who is trying to save her siblings from "Fos.Ter.Care" in 1934 Walnut Ridge, Virginia. Melia is a talented mechanic who is running her deceased mother's filling station. When a passed out hobo falls off a coal truck, she hatches the idea of finding a long lost father that will keep the children together. "Every swipe I took at his face, he got a year younger.....This here's our daddy." Daddy Hiram is slow to adapt to his new role, but he eventually embraces it and suggests many ways to improve their business against the competition who seeks to take over the gas station. "Funny thing show more about Hiram. Any little failure he could seep right out of his head, but success took root like a dandelion, wanted more of itself." This story is full of hope and human kindness. A great book for teens and adults. show less

I enjoyed this book greatly however, some parts confused me quite a bit. I enjoyed the clues that pointed to this book being set during "The Prohibition." I also enjoyed how Hiriam's tips helped the buisiness and let Melia realize that her mother's strategy on the station wasn't actually great. I also disliked how Hiriam had a child with Iva. I mean, he had only met her about 3 times. Also that child was an odd, unneeded detail at the end. In addition to the Prohibition detail, I enjoyed how Hiriam was like a real father to Melia's family even when he didn't try to be.

The Great Depression is not a time to be running a small gas station - or to lose your mother. After her mother dies, 14-year-old Melia tries to run the business and care for her younger siblings. But a competing gas station owner, a wealthy man with a string of stations, is determined to run her out of business. And legally, Melia is not old enough to own a business and be the guardian of her brother and sister. To avoid being removed from their home and split up, she takes in a hobo and sets him up as their long-last father.

I loved the setting of this book: rural Virginia. I loved that it was set in the. depression era, when filling stations were really taking off. And, most of all, I loved the story. Melia Hoyle's mama, a single parent, was dying. Her dying words were about Melia's dad, "He's ....". And the rest was left to the imagination.

Amelia, being the oldest of three children (why, next came sweet Janey, then tougher than nails, Earle), had to keep at things in order to keep the family away from "Fos. Ter. Care". She began by hiring the trustee of their service station, Chester Gallagher, as the family's attorney. Then, she came back to the station just in time to service the truckers, who get there just in time to meet daylight to head east for show more Baltimore and Philadelphia. They stop for gas, a quick snooze on the Adirondack chairs, and to refill their java before taking off again.

Next thing you know, a hobo shows up who Melia hires on to pretend (or is he her real daddy that her mother wrote to to let him know she's about to pass away?) to be her dad in order to keep the family together. Melia has it all figured out already, to keep the wolves at bay for as long as it takes until she is all grown up enough to take care of Janey and Earle. And EVERYTHING was going along just enough until ole Mr. Blevins decided to buy them out or scare them off; whatever it took to take over the filling station as another Standard Oil filling station that he owned.

Thank you to Louis Bayard, MacMillian Children's Publishing Group, and NetGalley for giving me a free e-ARC of this book to read and give my honest review. show less

reviewed from egalley (and I only read the first 12 chapters--but may return to it if I've got time later).
teen/middlegrade fiction (dad is unknown/absent ; mom dies on first page ; 14-year-old trying to take care of 2 younger half-siblings and avoid foster care budding romance; historical fiction = 1930s rural Virginia)

Good so far!