Abandoned on Church Steps

In 1982 New York, a baby is left on the steps of a nunnery. Margaret Jean, a woman hiding as a nun, witnesses a man named John Armstrong claim the child as his own, spinning a story about his wife's postpartum struggles. Margaret Jean, herself a con artist, gives up her gold crucifix to help, feeling a rare moment of virtue. The baby, Luciana, is taken by John, setting in motion a life shaped by deception, survival, and the search for belonging.

Becoming Lucky Armstrong

Growing up, Luciana—now called Lucky—travels the country with John, learning the art of the con. She's told she's the luckiest girl in the world, but her life is transient and built on lies. Her only keepsake is the crucifix from her supposed mother. Lucky's education is unconventional, filled with books and cons, and she's taught to trust no one but her father, always ready to run.

Lessons in Deception

Lucky's formative years are spent perfecting scams with John. She learns to read people, invent stories, and manipulate emotions. A pivotal con at a luxury hotel introduces her to friendship and guilt, as she befriends Steph, only to help her father swindle Steph's mother. The experience leaves Lucky longing for a normal life and real connections, but the cycle of deception continues.

The Sagamore Con

At the Sagamore Hotel, Lucky's friendship with Steph is genuine, but her father exploits it for financial gain. Lucky's internal conflict grows as she's forced to lie about being sick to elicit sympathy and money. The aftermath is a deep sense of loss and the realization that every con leaves a mark, not just on the victim, but on the perpetrator as well.

Love and Betrayal

As a young adult, Lucky falls for Cary, a charming grifter with his own secrets. Their relationship is passionate but built on mutual deception. Together, they dream of escape and a new life, but trust is elusive. Cary's betrayal—abandoning Lucky and implicating her in their crimes—forces her to confront the reality that love, for her, is as risky as any con.

The Winning Ticket

On the run, Lucky impulsively buys a lottery ticket using her childhood "lucky numbers." When she discovers she's won a massive jackpot, the victory is hollow—she can't claim the prize without exposing herself to arrest. The ticket becomes a symbol of hope and the life she might have had, but also of the traps set by her past.

On the Run

Lucky adopts new identities, evades law enforcement, and navigates a world where every interaction is a potential threat. She's robbed, nearly assaulted, and forced to con her way to safety. The lottery ticket is hidden, lost, and recovered, mirroring her own precarious existence. Each escape is a reminder of the cost of her choices.

Lost and Found Family

Desperate for connection, Lucky seeks out Gloria, the woman she believes is her mother. The reunion is a letdown—Gloria reveals she's not Lucky's biological mother, but rather that John found Lucky abandoned and took her in. The revelation shatters Lucky's sense of identity and belonging, leaving her more adrift than ever.

The Con's Cost

Lucky's past cons unravel, and the people she's hurt—friends, marks, and even herself—are left in her wake. Her father is imprisoned, her relationship with Cary is destroyed, and her attempts at normalcy are sabotaged by the skills and instincts that once kept her alive. The emotional toll of a life built on lies becomes unbearable.

The Mother Hunt

Determined to find her real mother, Lucky follows a trail of clues back to New York. She discovers that her birth mother, Valerie, is now a powerful district attorney, haunted by the child she gave up. Their eventual meeting is fraught with pain, regret, and the possibility of forgiveness, offering Lucky a chance at the connection she's always craved.

Priscilla's Web

Priscilla, Cary's mother and a criminal mastermind, ensnares Lucky in her schemes. Priscilla's manipulations threaten Lucky's freedom and even her life, as she seeks to recover the stolen lottery ticket and eliminate loose ends. Lucky must outwit Priscilla, navigating a dangerous game where trust is a liability.

Redemption and Restitution

With the help of Valerie and Reyes, a former accomplice, Lucky agrees to cooperate with law enforcement. She uses her skills to help bring down Priscilla and Cary, offering testimony in exchange for a chance to make amends. The lottery winnings are earmarked for restitution, and Lucky begins to repay those she's wronged, embracing accountability.

The Final Grift

In a high-stakes sting, Lucky confronts Priscilla, using her con artist talents to extract a confession and recover the lottery ticket. The operation is dangerous, but successful—Priscilla is arrested, and Lucky's role in her downfall is recognized as an act of courage and redemption.

Truths and Second Chances

Lucky is forced to confront the truth about her origins, her choices, and the people she's loved and lost. Her relationship with her father is forever changed, but not entirely severed. With Valerie's support, Lucky begins to imagine a life defined not by luck or lies, but by honesty and hope.

Reunion and Reckoning

Lucky and Valerie's reunion is bittersweet, marked by shared pain and the possibility of healing. Both women must forgive themselves and each other for the choices that shaped their lives. Their bond, though fragile, offers a foundation for something real and lasting.

The Ticket's Journey

The lottery ticket, passed from hand to hand, becomes a metaphor for Lucky's journey—coveted, lost, stolen, and finally reclaimed. Its value is not just monetary, but symbolic of the chance for a new beginning, earned through struggle and sacrifice.

Facing the Past

Lucky decides to face the consequences of her actions, turning herself in and accepting responsibility. She understands that true freedom comes not from escape, but from truth. Her willingness to make amends marks the start of genuine transformation.

A New Beginning

With her crimes exposed and restitution underway, Lucky is finally free to define herself on her own terms. Supported by Valerie and Reyes, she steps into a future where luck is less about chance and more about the choices she makes. The story ends with the promise of healing, belonging, and the power of second chances.

Characters

Lucky (Luciana Armstrong)

Lucky is the heart of the novel—a woman forged in the fires of abandonment, grifting, and relentless reinvention. Raised by a con artist, she learns early to trust no one and to rely on her wits. Her longing for love and belonging is at odds with her criminal upbringing, leading to deep internal conflict. Lucky's journey is one of self-discovery, as she moves from victim to agent of her own fate, ultimately seeking redemption and a true sense of self. Her relationships—with her father, lovers, and the women she seeks as mothers—are fraught with betrayal and yearning, but her resilience and capacity for change drive the narrative.

John Armstrong

John is both Lucky's savior and her captor, rescuing her as a baby but raising her in a world of lies. He is charming, resourceful, and deeply flawed, teaching Lucky the skills of the grift while denying her a stable, honest life. His love is real but conditional, always filtered through the lens of survival. As he ages and faces the consequences of his actions, John's vulnerability and regret become more pronounced, complicating his relationship with Lucky and highlighting the generational cost of deception.

Cary Matheson

Cary is Lucky's lover and fellow grifter, a man whose charisma masks deep insecurities and a willingness to betray. Their relationship is passionate but toxic, built on shared secrets and mutual manipulation. Cary's ultimate betrayal—abandoning Lucky and implicating her in their crimes—forces her to confront the limits of trust and the dangers of loving someone as damaged as herself. Cary's own entanglement with his criminal mother, Priscilla, adds layers of complexity and danger.

Priscilla Lachaise

Priscilla is the novel's primary antagonist—a brilliant, ruthless criminal who uses family ties as leverage. As Cary's mother and Lucky's adversary, she orchestrates schemes that ensnare everyone around her. Priscilla's ability to read and exploit people makes her a formidable foe, and her lack of remorse or empathy stands in stark contrast to Lucky's growing conscience. Her downfall is engineered by Lucky's courage and cunning.

Valerie Mann

Valerie is Lucky's biological mother, a woman who gave up her child in a moment of desperation and spent decades searching for her. Now a powerful district attorney, Valerie is defined by guilt and longing. Her eventual reunion with Lucky is fraught with pain but also the possibility of healing. Valerie's willingness to help Lucky, even at personal and professional risk, is a testament to the enduring power of maternal love and the hope of second chances.

Marisol Reyes

Reyes is a former accomplice of John and Priscilla, shaped by a traumatic childhood and time in foster care. She becomes a driver for a nonprofit helping ex-convicts, seeking her own redemption. Reyes's loyalty to Lucky and John is genuine, and her willingness to risk her freedom to help them underscores the novel's themes of chosen family and forgiveness.

Gloria Devereaux

Gloria is the woman Lucky believes to be her mother, only to discover she is not. Gloria is tough, pragmatic, and ultimately self-serving, willing to exploit Lucky for her own gain. Her revelation about Lucky's origins is devastating, but her brief partnership with Lucky highlights the ways in which need and loneliness can drive people together, even in the absence of true connection.

Steph Dixon

Steph represents the life Lucky might have had—a stable home, genuine friendship, and the possibility of trust. Their brief, intense friendship is a source of both joy and guilt for Lucky, and the memory of Steph haunts her as she navigates adulthood. Steph's later success as a realtor is a bittersweet reminder of the paths not taken.

Sister Margaret Jean

Margaret Jean is the nun who witnesses Lucky's abandonment and John's deception. Her own history as a con artist and her subsequent quest for redemption mirror Lucky's journey. Margaret Jean's relationship with Valerie, whom she helps after the loss of her child, is an act of atonement that ripples through the narrative.

Betty

Betty, Lucky's rescue dog, is a rare source of unconditional love and stability in Lucky's chaotic life. Her presence grounds Lucky, offering comfort and a sense of home even as everything else falls apart. Betty's journey—lost, found, and reunited—parallels Lucky's own search for belonging.

Plot Devices

Dual Timelines and Flashbacks

The novel employs a non-linear structure, moving between Lucky's childhood and her adult life on the run. Flashbacks provide context for her actions, deepening the reader's understanding of her motivations and the psychological scars left by her upbringing. This structure allows for gradual revelation of secrets and heightens emotional impact.

The Lottery Ticket as MacGuffin

The winning lottery ticket is the central plot device, driving the action and serving as a metaphor for luck, fate, and the possibility of change. Its journey—from purchase to loss, theft, and recovery—mirrors Lucky's own quest for identity and redemption. The ticket's value is both literal and symbolic, representing the life Lucky might have had and the choices she must make.

Con Games and Deception

Cons, scams, and false identities are both the tools of Lucky's survival and the source of her deepest wounds. The novel explores the psychological toll of living a lie, the allure and danger of deception, and the difficulty of breaking free from patterns learned in childhood. The final sting operation against Priscilla is a reversal—Lucky uses her skills for justice rather than self-preservation.

The Search for Family

Lucky's journey is driven by her desire to find her mother and to belong. The motif of lost and found family recurs throughout, with each reunion—real or imagined—forcing Lucky to confront her own worth and the possibility of forgiveness. The novel suggests that family can be chosen as well as found, and that healing is possible even after profound betrayal.

Restitution and Redemption

The narrative arc bends toward redemption, with Lucky seeking to make amends for her crimes. The use of the lottery winnings for restitution, her cooperation with law enforcement, and her willingness to face justice all underscore the theme that true change requires accountability and courage.

Analysis

**A modern fable of luck, identity, and the cost of survival, "Lucky" interrogates the myth of the self-made woman and the seductive power of reinvention. Marissa Stapley crafts a propulsive, emotionally resonant story that explores how trauma, deception, and longing for love shape a life. The novel's structure—braiding past and present, crime and hope—mirrors the fractured psyche of its protagonist, who is both victim and perpetrator. At its core, "Lucky" is about the search for family: the families we're born into, the ones we lose, and the ones we choose. The lottery ticket, both a literal fortune and a metaphor for possibility, asks whether luck is something we make or something we're given—and whether we can ever truly escape our past. Stapley's message is clear: redemption is possible, but only through honesty, accountability, and the courage to accept love, even when we feel unworthy. The book is a testament to resilience, the power of second chances, and the enduring human need for connection.

Last updated: May 25, 2025