Review: You Never Know: Tales of Tobias, An Accidental Lottery Winner – Lillian Duval

You Never Know:  Tales of Tobias, An Accidental Lottery Winner by Lillian Duval
Series:
Release Date:  January 1, 2011
Publisher:   Wheatmark
Page Count:  354
Source:  Provided by author
Buy the book at: Amazon  

Tobias Hillyer had a promising future until a car accident claimed the lives of his parents. Abandoning his dreams, he dropped out of college to take care of his orphaned, brain-damaged younger brother. Now in his late thirties, Tobias must struggle to provide for his family, working dead-end jobs that fall far short of the academic career he had imagined.
Then he wins the lottery.
His financial worries eliminated, Tobias anticipates nothing but smooth sailing ahead for himself and the people he loves. But he soon finds that his amazing stroke of luck may threaten everything he holds dear.
Over peaks and valleys, this uplifting journey will challenge everything we think we know about luck, life, and what we value most.

This is a heartwarming & heart-wrenching tale…I had to leave for it a few days at a time because it made me so sad at times. It is a very realistic portrayal of what I would imagine the family of a traumatic brain damage victim would experience.

The sacrifices that Tobias made to take care of his brother made me cry, as did the story of Simeon’s recovery.

It was a roller coaster ride full of ups and downs…almost too many downs for me, but a well-written and very thoughtful book.


Review by Joelle C.