The Rich Part Of Life by Jim Kokoris – 336 pages
Book Blurb:
After Teddy loses his mother to a car accident, he and his young brother are left with their eccentric Civil War professor father, who is more able to discuss Confederate footwear than his sons’ day at school. But Teddy’s father plays the lottery with his wife’s old numbers, and wins $190 million, immediately transforming their lives forever. For the first time, the family must learn what “the rich part of life” really is. Creating the perfect balance of humor and pathos, Jim Kokoris takes us on an unforgettable journey through the ups and downs of this revelation of unexpected wealth.
My Review: 4 stars
The Rich Part Of Life was an insightful book that shares the truths, which can only be told by a kid, of what winning the lottery does to a family.
With an immense amount of laugh out loud humor, Kokoris created eccentric characters that seem realistic in any family or in any town. There is a lot of heart and originality in this short book.
Teddy is the perfect narrator as scenes are always greater when interpreted through a child’s eyes. He shoulders a lot of weight between his oddball dad, carrying for his younger brother and recently losing his mom.
The money won in the lottery plays its own character as it certainly affects so many of the other people in the book.
Simply put, this book answers the question of what makes us rich? Free money and/or the wealth of family?