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The Fortunate Ones by Ed Tarkington

The Fortunate Ones

by Ed Tarkington

  • Critics' Consensus (5):
  • Readers' Rating (31):
  • Published:
  • Jan 2021, 320 pages
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There are currently 31 reader reviews for The Fortunate Ones
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Taylor Betty

Captivating Story
I was completely captivated by this book. The prologue grabbed me when Charlie Boykin, an Army soldier, is stunned to learn of the suicide of a prominent Southern senator, a senator he knew well. I immediately wondered what the connection was between the two men.

We tend to be envious of “the fortunate ones”, the ones “born with a silver spoon in their mouths”. This is a strong character study told from the perspective of an outsider who has been granted access to the elitist insiders. Thus, we find that their lives are not as perfect as they appear. Tarkington writes of privilege and ambition, and of how thatmore
Elizabeth S. (East Hartford, CT)

Captivating Retelling of Old Tale
Until I read "The Fortunate Ones" I doubted that any more could be written about a working class boy coming in contact with one "to the manor born." Nor did I think I could be swayed by the irony of the title. I was wrong. From the start of the novel through to its finish I was captured by the first person narration of Charlie Boykin and by his encounters over time with Archie Creigh. It didn't matter that I could tell where the book was headed; this novel depends on character much more than plot. By the time I was done Charlie and Archie came to occupy the same spot in my imagination reserved until now bymore
Susanna K. (Willow Street, PA)

Thoughtful
Fortunate? Dictionary definition: "Bringing some good not foreseen as certain" or "Receiving unexpected good". Charlie Boyton was happy living with his single mother in a low income neighborhood. Surrounded by many caretakers and friends money didn't matter to him. But things changed when he was exposed to another different way of life- wealth! At first he couldn't believe his good "fortune" living in a beautiful estate, experiencing all the frills money could buy. He had it all or so he thought. Continuing his journey throughout the years, you will experience all of his emotions- blissful, saddened,more
Anna R. (Oak Ridge, TN)

Great read
This was such a good story. I could "see" the characters. The contrast between the lives of Arch and Charlie was well done. I understood Charlie's mother wanting a better life for her son. The twists in the story kept me reading. I couldn't put this book down and will recommend it to my book group.
Pamela C. (Boxborough, MA)

A real page turner!
This book was hard to put down! Many interesting characters and a great peek into the secret lives of rich and powerful people. Charlie Boykin comes to join that world due to his mothers connections and his life changes totally. He becomes involved with Arch Creigh, a charismatic, wealthy and ambitious young man. Charlie learns how to operate in that well to do lifestyle and no matter how hard he tries to let go, he never falls far from Archie's spell.This book is a coming of age story and mystery set in the south. You know a book is good when you don't want it to end!
Nancy D. (Raleigh, NC)

True to Oneself
I don't often read books where the protagonist is a male. I sometimes find them a little difficult. This certainly was not the case with The Fortunate Ones by Ed Tarkington. I thoroughly enjoyed the story of Charlie Boykin and his journey through the lives of the "elite" of Nashville. He sacrifices a lot to keep himself in a place where he believed the "grass is always greener". While he invests much into the friendships, it appears he get very little back in return. The relationship between Charlie and his mother is a sad one. She was the true architect of his acceptance into Yeatman and how it impacts bothmore
Power Reviewer
Lee M. (Wentzville, MO)

My Charmed Life
Charlie Boykin has graduated from eight grade and he and his friend Terrance are looking forward to high school. He lives in East Nashville with his mother and aunt and he will be attending as a white in a mostly black school again but thinks high school might be different. When his mother brings him to Yeatman School in Belle Mead and tells him he could attend there instead, Charlie never hesitates and never looks back. The book follows Charlie through his 'coming of age' high school and beyond as both he and his mother find it nicer to live on the better side of Nashville. Although he never questions how hemore
Virginia P. (Tallahassee, FL)

The Fortunate Ones
Ed Tarkington is a new author to me and I liked "The Fortunate Ones" so much that I have bought his first book, "Only Love Can Break Your Heart." For southern readers, the places and names in his book are very familiar, but the book has universal appeal as it tells a story of misdeeds and redemption. There is a line in the book that sums up the story very well and that is "No great temple was ever built without a few bodies buried beneath its foundation." I highly recommend the book.

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