Historical

Luck of the Draw

by Stuart Blackburn
Released: 28th January, 2025
ISBN:
9781835740996
eISBN:
9781835742518

Luck of the Draw is a thriller laced with radical politics, divided loyalties, and personal tragedies. Ultimately, it is a story of love, loss, and survival.

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£9.99

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Full synopsis

It’s 1969.

Stephen's plans to attend Harvard Law School are derailed by the Vietnam War draft lottery. Faced with the prospect of being sent to fight in Southeast Asia, he evades military service by fleeing to California.

Arrested at an anti-war protest, Stephen flees again, this time to a commune in northern California. There, he falls in love with Sharon, the leader of an underground radical group. Under Sharon’s influence, Stephen plants a bomb that accidentally claims a life. Escaping from the FBI, he heads to Canada with his newborn daughter, Rosie, after Sharon decides to stay behind. As Rosie grows up, Stephen conceals the truth about their past. Many years later, Rosie uncovers the truth and sets out to find her mother. With the FBI closing in, Rosie loses her father and is left to navigate an uncertain future.

Luck of the Draw is a thriller laced with radical politics, divided loyalties, and personal tragedies. Ultimately, it is a story of love, loss, and survival.

Read the reviews

Here's what readers have to say about this book....

David Jones

I enjoy (an interesting word to use) reading books, both nonfiction and fiction, surrounding the Vietnam era soldiers. They are always so well written and usually leave you with more questions than answers. This book is no exception. Luck of The Draw is one where ethical decisions are made throughout Stephen’s life and how he lives with them. Stuart Blackburn writes a fantastic book that is worth the read. I received a free advanced copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Doug Yonce

Excellent look at an important era for many of us. Many writers have approached this trying time, but this author’s story really exposes the hearts and souls of many—not only those included in that awful draft lottery in December of 1969, but so many others as well. Everyone who lived through that time has a story to tell, and this one is well worth reading. (With a number less than 50, the stress I personally lived with makes the story even more real.)

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