I heard about this book because the author, George Dawes Green, is one of the founders of The Moth, one of my favorite NPR shows/podcasts. The Moth is a collection of 10-15 minute stories told live without notes to an audience about all sorts of topics. Green said he started The Moth to preserve the art of storytelling; the name coming from moths that used to collect near his porch light growing up when his family and friends would stay up late telling stories.
Enough about The Moth - on to Ravens. I figured someone dedicated to the art of storytelling would tell a good story himself...so the story Green tells is about a family who wins the lottery. Two con men decide to hold the family hostage and threaten them to get half of the winnings. The book follows the days just before and after the lottery win.
The book was ok, not great. Stephen King really liked it which raised it on my list, but he seems to be doing a lot of reviews these days. I thought the characters in the book were well-developed with excellent backstories justifying their actions throughout the book. The desperate middle-America mom, the daughter anxious to spread her wings, her offbeat best friend, her loving grandmother (and the policeman in love with her) all left a mark in my head. Both of the con men out to take their money were memorable as despicable and weak, respectively. But something about the book just didn't come together for me: the story was slow to develop and reasonably predictable.
I'd be interested to read some non-fiction from Green to see if he is better at telling a real-life story.
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