Repeatedly compared to Faulkner and Flannery O'Connor, Howard Owen has firmly established himself as a major talent in Southern fiction. In "Answers to Lucky, " he once again earns this reputation by crafting an unforgettable tale of ambition, politics and the tidal draw of family.

It begins in 1946. Consumed by a burning desire to pull himself out of redneck poverty, Tommy Sweatt drives his twin sons, Thomas Edison Sweatt and Jack Dempsey (Lucky) Sweatt, to be the brightest and the best. When Lucky contracts polio, however, he becomes invisible to his father, his relationship with Tom Ed grows strained and the inevitable collapse occurs. As soon as he's able, Lucky divorces himself from the family.

Flash forward to 1992. Tom Ed is running for governor of North Carolina in a heated race. Out of the blue, Lucky reappears, hoping to reconnect with his brother and reunite the family. Against this murky backdrop of politics, infidelity, deception and wrath, the fortunes of the Sweatt family take unexpected turns in a story that teases, surprises and, finally, comes together in a truly satisfying denouement.

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