Left and the Lucky by Willy Vlautin

‘One of America’s great writers.’ RODDY DOYLE
‘Vlautin’s characters are a vast chorus of broken hearts, reaching for grace.’ COLIN WALSH
‘No one writes with such empathy and insight as Willy Vlautin.’ BEN MYERS
‘Vlautin writes about people overlooked by society and overlooked by literature.’ ANN PATCHETT
The moving, large-hearted story of a young boy in danger of slipping through society’s cracks and the unlikely father figure who takes him under his wing.

‘And try to breathe, man. You gotta remember to breathe. You won’t get so panicky if you can remember that.’

Eddie Wilkens runs his own house-painting business. Forty-something and living alone, he just wants to take life one day at a time. When his eight-year-old neighbour, Russell, starts hanging around, Eddie sees that this small kid – with his single mother working nights and his violent older brother – is struggling to keep his head above water, and so tries to help.

Equal parts heart wrenching and uplifting, The Left and the Lucky is a portrait of this unusual friendship – the ways hurt shatters people and the compassionate acts that can, maybe, hold some of those pieces together.

The moving, large-hearted story of a young boy in danger of slipping through society’s cracks and the unlikely father figure who takes him under his wing.

About the Author: Willy Vlautin has published seven previous novels, most recently The Horse, which won the 2025 Joyce Carol Oates Award. The Motel Life and Lean on Pete were both turned into acclaimed feature films, in 2012 and 2017, the latter of which was directed by Andrew Haigh. Netflix’s adaptation of The Night Always Comes is set for release in Autumn ’25 starring Vanessa Kirby. Vlautin lives outside of Portland, Oregon and is the founding member of the bands Richmond Fontaine and The Delines.

07 May 2026
 

The Left and the Lucky by Willy Vlautin ISBN 9780571384808