Lucky was published by Simon & Schuster in 1985, and it established Lucky Santangelo as one of the most memorable characters in popular fiction — a woman who combines her father Gino’s criminal charisma with a modern woman’s refusal to accept the limitations placed on female ambition.
Lucky wants what men have always wanted: power, money, independence, and sexual freedom on her own terms. She builds a hotel-casino in Las Vegas, fights off male rivals who underestimate her because of her gender, conducts love affairs with the same aggressive confidence that her father brought to his, and refuses to choose between power and femininity — insisting that a woman can be both ruthless and sexual, both powerful and beautiful, without compromise.
Collins uses Lucky to explore the specific challenges that face powerful women: the double standards (a man who sleeps around is admired; a woman who does the same is condemned), the assumption that female success must be explained by male patronage, and the constant pressure to sacrifice ambition for domestic respectability. Lucky refuses all of these constraints, and her refusal — combined with her success — made her an icon for readers who shared her frustrations.
Collecting Lucky
First edition (Simon & Schuster, New York, 1985): Cloth binding, dust jacket.
Market values:
- First edition in dust jacket: $15–$40
- Without jacket: $5–$12