The Lucky Card

Even the best-laid plans have a way of disintegrating before your eyes . . .

At twenty-three, Élodie Attias thought she had her life all mapped out. In October of 2003, before moving to Milan from Paris to pursue an MBA, Élodie decides to spend a month in Los Angeles with her first love, Benjamin. One night on their way home, Benjamin enthusiastically tells Elodie about the green card lottery, which only a handful win every year. She has no intention of living in...
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Even the best-laid plans have a way of disintegrating before your eyes . . .

At twenty-three, Élodie Attias thought she had her life all mapped out. In October of 2003, before moving to Milan from Paris to pursue an MBA, Élodie decides to spend a month in Los Angeles with her first love, Benjamin. One night on their way home, Benjamin enthusiastically tells Elodie about the green card lottery, which only a handful win every year. She has no intention of living in the United States, as she is about to leave for Italy, but decides to play the lottery anyway. As luck would have it, her name comes up among thousands of applicants.In love with America, she decides to go through with the process of obtaining the Green Card. There is one last formality left -- a lung X-ray. The X-ray reveals a suspicious stain. Tests follow in quick succession and the verdict comes down. She's diagnosed with a life threatening illness. Overnight she finds her life suddenly spinning out of control. That's when Elodie realizes she did not just win the lottery for the green card but for her life as well.With modesty, emotion, and humor, Élodie Attias writes about this experience, showing how to overcome suffering and fear through imagination and laughter. Between each chemo, she flies to Italy to become a carefree woman again. Redefined eyebrows, unsuspected wig, pale complexion carefully concealed - she pays the luxury of being an ordinary girl and forget her cancer label. One day she decides to go out dancing with her twin sister. She meets Nicolas and they fall for one another fast...Will she be able to gain back control of her well planned out life, or will her sickness rob her of the chance to experience love to the fullest?