Lucky Boy is Shanthi Sekaran's 2017 novel that tells the intertwined stories of two mothers connected by their love for the same child. Solimar Castro-Valdez, an 18-year-old from Oaxaca, Mexico, embarks on a perilous journey across the US-Mexico border, hoping for a better life. After weeks of hardship, she arrives in Berkeley, California, only to discover she is pregnant after a brief romance. As Soli navigates the challenges of new motherhood, she realizes the importance of fiercely protecting her child. Simultaneously, Kavya Reddy, a 35-year-old chef at a UC Berkeley sorority house, grapples with her own struggles with fertility and a deep yearning for motherhood. When Soli's son, Ignacio, ends up in the foster care system after Soli's arrest for a minor traffic violation, Kavya and her husband, Rishi, take him in. The narrative alternates between Soli's harrowing experiences in immigration detention and Kavya's journey into motherhood. Through these contrasting perspectives, Lucky Boy explores themes of motherhood, immigration, and class privilege, raising poignant questions about family, nationality, and belonging. Sekaran skillfully highlights the unpredictable twists of fate that shape lives, compelling readers to confront the realities of love, loss, and the pursuit of a better future.
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