"This may be the real gift of this book and its real magic, Susan Petrone's moving us from indifference to understanding and caring for others and our world, and that's a very real transformation."-- "New York Journal of Books" A series of unfortunate events weave together the complex and beautifully-rendered lives of an old man, a young girl, and a reluctant villain in this heartfelt page-turner set in 1977 Ohio. Petrone deftly blends suspense, fantasy, and family turmoil to paint an unflinching portrait of America's Rust Belt at its tipping point. If a city like Youngstown could talk, this is the story it might tell. I couldn't put it down!--D.M. Pulley, author of The Dead Key and No One's Home 'The simple, desperate act that opens The Heebie-Jeebie Girl quickly turns complicated and dangerous. Susan Petrone has penned an open-hearted love letter to a still-proud city whose mills and bars used to operate around the clock, where jobs are scarce and people dream of hitting the lottery.

A novel of magic and miracles, contrition and forgiveness, it's fitting that its hero, who can pick lucky numbers out of thin air, is named Hope. As Youngstown itself says: "Some cities will chew you up and spit you out. Not me."'--Stewart O'Nan, author of Snow Angels and Last Night at the Lobster.