You Never Know

A very good book- especially for those of us who dream of winning the lottery

Does chance rule our lives? Or, do we overcome chance and rule ourselves? Those are the questions that underlie Lilian Duval's novel, You Never Know. As the story opens we meet college student Tobias Hillyer as he arrives home for Christmas vacation. No sooner does he arrive than the family, Dad, an alcoholic Mom, and artist younger brother Simeon (Simmy) jump in the car to head to a restaurant, Tobias, or Toby as the family calls him, driving. Along the way a horrific accident occurs when another car rams into theirs. Mom and Dad are instantly killed and Simmy suffers a near fatal injury to his brain. Toby is faced with leaving college to care for his barely functioning brother. In the process, Toby gives up his dream of becoming a renowned cultural anthropologist, eventually taking a job in a bookstore. Over time, Toby's life evolves as he continues to make one sacrifice after another for his brother. His life evolves further as he meets and marries Carmela, Simmy's nurse and, together they face the obligation of brotherhood. Eventually Toby and Carmela are graced with twins, a boy and a girl. Toby advances at the bookstore and eventually becomes a manager at his best friend's real estate firm at a six-figure salary. But, it seems that no amount of salary will ever be enough as Simmy's care continually sucks thousands of dollars a year and the twins are growing. Toby and Carmela barely squeak by, and then only because they learn to pinch pennies and monitor their every expense. Then, one day, Toby more or less accidentally finds himself buying a lottery ticket. That night he discovers he won over 250 million dollars, enough, as the author says, to live on without working.

Once Toby and Carmela are unbelievably rich, the trouble begins. They encounter every sort of bogus bid for money; relatives who suddenly are broke, strangers at the door begging, and other, more nefarious schemes. They run through millions before the marriage begins to fail. Only after one of the children miraculously escapes from a murderous abductor does the family realize its problems and take action. They move across the country, purchase a luxurious home, but not the fanciest on the market, and life begins to take shape. Simmy finds a clinic and a wonder drug that brings back his intellectual capacity, Toby and Carmela find new meaning in funding a clinic, and the children teach them about having a down-to-Earth, human relationship is more important than all the frills in the world.

Two of the great questions that has faced humanity throughout its history are, first, how can we be happy, and second, how can we cope with all the adversity life throws at us. The existential psychologist, Salvadore Maddi, answers the second question by stating first, we must develop hardiness and, second, that hardiness derives from courage. Courage comes from the three Cs: commitment, challenge, and control. Toby entered the story committed to his future career, but when chance intervened he fell back to a more fundamental commitment, his brother. As his life progressed he added commitments to his wife, then his employers. At the same time he faced meeting continual challenges in making ends meet, caring for, and protecting, his brother and his children, and eking out a living. Control mainly came from continual economizing and sticking to a routine. Whether he was happy we don't know; he did have a measure of courage and resultant resil

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A Smart, Witty, and Intelligent Piece of Literature!

In her novel, You Never Know, author Lilian Duval challenges readers to address philosophical questions about life and how one can never truly know the path of one's own course and direction in life, while emphasizing the poignant truth about human nature's desire to stay true to oneself, no matter the struggles placed before you.

The book starts out in a writing style that is reflective of college-age Tobias' nonsensical adolescent and simplistic view of life, with its literary brilliance slowly developing a more complicated sophistication that grows as young Tobias' life transforms from a metaphoric black and white view of his circumstances to his many shades of gray human emotion.

Duval further asks readers to explore their own truisms about whether our decisions in life are based on being true to oneself, or is our direction in life merely chosen and based on decisions that are made out of guilt? These questions are explored as she unfolds the story of Tobias' struggle to take care of his mentally challenged brother. The author's literary description of the human psyche and the overwhelming emotions of this experience, when Tobias embraces such a large, new, and obligatory life challenge, offer compelling and non-stop page-turning excitement!

While the page-turning continues, You Never Know sets us on a course to discover that through tragedy and the unexpected in life, many of life's blessings come through struggle, and unfolds the tale of good luck triumphing over bad luck and hardship; while reminding us that oftentimes, what we perceive to be good luck, might also transform itself into bad luck.

You Never Know is a smart, witty, and intelligent piece of literature that will prompt you to delve into these varying questions within your own life: Is good luck always a good thing--or can bad luck become good luck too?

Review by Debbie Anderson, a Writer, Producer, and Director, and Author of
Simple Rules for ... The Road Warrior Princess

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

What a book! I loved it!

You Never Know. No truer words have ever been spoken. This profound statement and philosophy is proven over and over again in Lilian Duval's novel, You Never Know. The book begins with Tobias Hillyer returning home for winter break from college for a dreaded holiday visit with his family. The only bright spot in this obligatory visit is his brother Simeon, five years his junior. Early on in life, Tobias earned the role of his brother's keeper, filling the void of their mother, who was an alcoholic.

On the way home from a holiday dinner at a local restaurant, the unexpected happens. A van careens through a red light at an intersection and crashes into their vehicle, killing both of Tobias's parents and causing his brother a serious head injury resulting in brain damage. Now Tobias is faced with a life-altering decision. Does he dedicate himself to the lifelong care of his younger brother, or does he follow his dream by pursuing his calling in the field of anthropology? In order to devote himself completely to the care of his brother, Tobias must turn his back on his studies and throw away the chance of a lifetime to participate in a fellowship and study indigenous people in South America. Almost unable to cope with the guilt of extinguishing Simeon's bright future and taking away his artistic talent, Tobias vows to dedicate himself to his brother's lifelong care.

This is the first glimpse of Tobias's strength of character that is shown. It is this strength of character and sense of morals that seems to govern every other alteration of his life and the lives of those around him. Although Tobias chose to end his education abruptly, his friendship with his former college roommate, Martin, continues throughout the trials and tribulations of their lives, maintaining their healthy rivalry in tennis as a means to cope with their changing financial positions in life.

As Simeon continues on his excruciatingly slow progress of healing, Tobias continues plodding along, barely able to earn enough money to meet the financial demand of his brother's care and the maintenance of their family home. As another testament to Tobias's undying dedication to his brother, he is blessed with the continued friendship of one of Simeon's nurses. The love, support and loyalty of their friendship gradually develops into a lifetime commitment to each other, and in time, they are blessed with two children of their own. Carmela shares Tobias's love and dedication to his brother, leaving Simeon to claim his own place in their family as an uncle/sibling to their twins. Although the Hillyers struggle continuously financially, they manage to prioritize the needs of their family, providing them with love and a stable, supportive family.

All the while that Tobias is struggling financially with minor raises in salary and promotion at the bookstore, Martin climbs the ladder of success in the corporate world. It becomes a strain in their friendship. After losing many of his employees as a result of the events of 9-11 and the collapse of the World Trade Center, Martin decides to invest in a new business. He realizes that with Tobias's skills and integrity, he would be an asset to this business, and Tobias soon becomes an integral part of Martin's success.

One evening Tobias misses his scheduled train, and a series of very coincidental events occur, leading Tobias to purchase a lottery ticket. Once again, these events seem to occur as a result of Tobias's goodwill

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Is He Swimming in Money, or Drowning?

Our perseverant protagonist, Tobias, struggles as we all seem to do with day-to-day finances, family dysfunction, and career goals. A tragic, fatal accident aggravates these concerns until one day on a busy railroad platform he takes the time from his demanding life to perform a random act of kindness. For, as Duval later writes while describing the stark antitheses that comprise New York City, "magic arises of its own accord, from ordinary people doing small, unexpected things." Immediately afterward, as if instant karma were at play, a God-like stranger encourages Tobias to buy a lottery ticket. Not only does the ticket win, it wins hugely. "All his worries are over," the narrator relates of Tobias's errant thoughts. Indeed, from that point on, our understanding of Tobias crescendos as he leaps each hurdle big money tosses into his path. Jean-Paul Sartre claimed that we define ourselves through our actions and the choices we make. Existence precedes essence, he says: first we just are, then through our decisions we acquire qualities, our "essence." Duval, herself a French speaker of Belgian ancestry, bolsters this philosophic tradition with a new novel whose vital characters easily leave their fictional setting to inhabit the reader's room and whose crucial dilemmas echo in the back of our mind long after we have set the book down. For while following the protagonist's footsteps and those of his family, we soon realize the tracks we are gazing upon are our own. If, according to existential philosophy, a person is defined by the decisions she makes and her interaction with the world she suffers and thrives in, then it can be maintained that the determinism-versus-free-will argument is, in a sense, irrelevant, for according to this proposition each person is either predestined to be defined by certain decisions or else defines himself reactively. Regardless of which side of the debate we endorse, we are easily engaged by the decision-making alone. That is, even if self-definition is illusory, we can still be entertained by the process, just as Sisyphus was amused-in Camus' rendition of the myth-at his repeatedly fruitless exertions to roll a boulder up a hill only to see it roll back down again. We are not surprised, then, when Tobias and his wife hope their child "could be influenced to choose well, rather than just fall wherever life threw him." This is a philosophy to which Tobias and wife adhere when they forgo an ostentation or two, when they write off a bad loan with no hard feelings toward their debtor, and when they let their philanthropic focus trump any animosity lingering from a soured friendship.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Great book! Read it and share it!

One of the reasons why You Never Know is so enjoyable is because it explores two of life's eternal questions: Why do bad things happen to good people? And, do things happen for a reason? People often turn to religion or faith for possible answers, but sometimes all you really need to do is observe life or-as in You Never Know-follow the story of one person over part of his lifetime to learn the answers.

The main character in You Never Know begins the story as an everyman: a young college student named Tobias Hillyer from a dysfunctional yet typical middle-class American family. When first introduced to Tobias and his younger brother Simeon, the reader feels an instant connection. In only a few pages, the author, Lilian Duval, has created very believable and fleshed-out characters. You are rooting for both of them, and happy that they are well-adjusted and talented enough not to be brought down too far by the dysfunctions they are forced to cope with in their home life. Tobias has a driven passion for anthropology, while Simeon is a talented artist.

Suddenly the reader is left in a tailspin of emotion and loss. A tragedy from left field strikes the world of Tobias, with horrible consequences for him and his family. Tobias is forced to reevaluate his priorities in life-whether to stay in college and pursue his dreams, or to stay home and care for his now ailing brother Simeon.

It would also be too simplistic to say that good things happen to Tobias in the rest of the book because of the horrible event that occurred early on. In fact, that wouldn't be true at all. Yes, the reader knows that at some point Tobias will win the lottery-simply because the back of the book, and even the title itself, tells the reader that this will happen. But saying that this is a story about luck, money, or winning the lottery, or that the lottery is all that Tobias experiences, is unfair to the entirety of the story itself.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Promising Debut!

In her charming, fast-paced novel You Never Know, author Lilian Duval asks the timeless question, "Am I my brother's keeper?" And the answer for one small suburban nuclear family in New Jersey is a resounding "Yes!" Home on college break, young Tobias Hillyer is chauffeuring his parents and teenage brother to a local restaurant for a holiday meal when a driver, traveling too fast for icy conditions, skids through a traffic light and alters the future of the family forever. Both parents are killed instantly and Tobias's younger brother Simeon-a gifted artist and cartoonist-suffers a head injury and lapses into a coma. In the face of sudden tragedy, Tobias shelves plans to pursue his PhD and a career passion for anthropology, canceling a once-in-a-lifetime field mission to study indigenous tribes in South America. It is but the first of many selfless acts for the brother-turned-father, who works in a bookstore to pay the mortgage. Diligent and responsible, Tobias stays at his brother's bedside, determined to aid in his recovery. It is then that he meets Carmela, a compassionate psychiatric nurse at the hospital and his soul mate for life. When Simeon miraculously awakens from the coma, a different person emerges. Now a mere shadow of his former self, he remains stunted and dulled, a child-like man of internal mystery trapped in his own damaged brain. There is a bittersweet poignancy found at the heart of You Never Know, which envelops the reader like a warm sun, illuminating the minor daily miracles that see a loving family through a time of their adversity. Each household member makes his or her own small sacrifice in the care of one another. Tobias's heroic efforts to provide for his family are matched only by Carmela's tireless dedication. When Tobias characteristically helps a blind man locate his local commuter train, he misses his own connection. Standing in a line he thinks is for snacks, he learns it is actually the line to buy a lottery ticket. In an act of sheer serendipity, a stranger behind him gives Tobias a scratch ticket for the Mega Millions lottery. You can guess what happens next. All six numbers match! With 255 million dollars after taxes, the Hillyers' future, once dark and closed, opens suddenly in a burst of outrageous financial possibility. There are designer clothes and personal bodyguards for the kids, $10,000 paintings for Simeon, lessons at exclusive tennis clubs for Tobias, a private fitness trainer named "Jacques" for Carmela, and dream vacations for the whole family. And then all hell breaks loose. Almost immediately, and despite the couple's best intentions, the enormous fortune becomes a Midas burden of outsize proportion. What begins with attorneys and advisers quickly extends to swarming paparazzi, professional scammers, desperate relatives, and former co-workers seeking million-dollar loans. The Hillyers re-evaluate the important things in life, realizing that money itself means precious little. In the hands of a less capable writer, You Never Know might easily have succumbed to the clichéd Disneywood treatment of other lucky/unlucky lottery winners. But Duval knows how to spin her tale, with tight prose and telling details. Duval eschews a prototypical warm-fuzzy ending, favoring instead personal redemption in the form of subtle grace. A potential bestseller, You Never Know marks Lilian Duval's promising debut as a gifted and perceptive new American storyteller.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A Must Read!

Sometimes a single event can change the course of a person's life and the lives of many loved ones. Oftentimes, it is not the cards that are dealt but the way that one chooses to play those cards that ultimately decides one's destiny.

You Never Know is an uplifting book that reveals the power of love, patience ... and a bit of luck! When Tobias's life is hit by unforeseen tragedy, he is forced to reevaluate his future and make a choice that may possibly bring an end to his dreams forever. With help from unexpected sources, however, Tobias is able to achieve far more than he ever thought possible. In a story filled with strong emotions of an almost tangible quality, the author effortlessly brings readers in touch with the characters. As a result, readers are often pulled to draw personal parallels between their own lives and the situations that the characters face.

Tobias Hillyer, described as a man who "planned things out," had very high academic aspirations and seemed destined for nothing less than greatness as an anthropologist. When his life takes a sudden, unfortunate turn during a visit to his family, resulting in the death of both his parents and the hospitalization of his talented younger brother with severe brain injuries, he is thrust into a difficult position that only he can play and one for which he feels entirely responsible.

Relying on his keen sense of obligation and resolve, Tobias places the weight of the world on his shoulders until assistance, in the form of dear friends, arrives, almost fortuitously, to shoulder some of the load. Battling inner emotions and facing very real life situations, they struggle with numerous problems daily until luck arrives, or so it seems, in the form of a winning lottery ticket-an immense fortune-containing lottery ticket!

Able to finally support his family and provide his brother and two children with limitless opportunities, Tobias realizes that the winning lottery ticket may have won him more than he bargained for. Facing the world now has many more challenges than any of the Hillyers would have predicted until they were thrust into the middle of it.

The author, Lilian Duval, does an admirable job of creating a story that is far from predictable, filled with suspense, and exhilarating. It is a beautiful example of determination and perseverance in the face of the most complicated of life's decrees, even when those decrees seem to be positive at first.

The ever-elusive pursuit of prosperity and happiness occupies the forefront of this story from the very beginning. Was the lottery ticket really the answer that they were seeking? There has hardly ever been an ill-fated character who was a more deserving recipient than Tobias-as a friend remarks, "Sometimes good things do happen to good people."

Because of winning the lottery ticket, Tobias's worries were supposed to fade away, yet, as the family realizes, it does little to improve their state of mind. In fact, it seems to make things worse. Only when the family decides to start over, in more ways than one, does their life take a truly remarkable road. Tobias, battling with inner guilt from losing his parents and the apparent ruin of his brother's future, finds much of his solace in tennis, which bring him a few partners who help him work through these feelings, eventually realizing that sometimes things in life just happen without there being anyone to blame.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Mixed Feelings!

I'm sort of mixed on this book. The first part of the story really drew me in. We meet Tobias, a young man, racked with guilt after his parents were killed and his brother was brain damaged in a car crash where although Tobias was driving the car, he did not cause the crash. He is left to take care of his brother, Simmy. Through Simmy's time in the hospital, he meets Carmela, a nurse, and falls in love. About the first two-thirds of the book talk about the building of Tobias' and Carmela's family. This part of the book covers almost 15 years.

They struggle financially but they get by. Then Tobias wins the lottery and everything changes... pretty much for the worse. Everyone wants to borrow money some for good purposes, some for not good purposes. Tobias and Carmela make some not good investments with their money. They're unhappy with each other and their family situation. Their daughter is kidnapped. Just one thing after another. I kept reading because at that point, I really liked Tobias' and his family and was fully invested in the characters but it was disheartening to read about all of their bad luck! The characters are really fantastic and really realistic and they are what drive the story along

Not a bad read...3.5 stars~!!

You Never Know: Tales of Tobias, an Accidental Lottery Winner is a dramatic fiction novel.

Tobias Hillyer is about to set on a journey that will change his life forever. After being accepted to an intern program at college, Tobias is preparing to travel to South America to live amongst the tribes and document his findings. However, before that occurs, he and his family are in a car accident and both Tobias' parents are killed and his younger brother is left severely brain-damaged. Giving up his career and his future, Tobias sets himself to look after his brother and help him to regain the use of his former self.

Simeon or Simmy as he is called by his friends and relatives had a very promising career as a cartoon artist, by the time he is fifteen, he had already won many awards. Simmy has been reduced to having to learn everything all over again and for many years, it doesn't look like he will ever regain his talent or his independence.

Carmela Liston is a nurse who befriends Tobias and helps Simmy to regain his full capabilities. She ingrains herself into the two lives and ensures that they become dependent upon her. She manipulates her way into their lives and their hearts.

Throughout the pages we learn of the growth of Simmy, and watch as the relationship between Tobias and Carmela grows. We hear of their worries, their strengths, their lies and their triumphs.

One day, Tobias is late for an engagement with his family, after he helps a blind man get onto the subway. While waiting for the next train to arrive, he purchases a lottery ticket. When he realizes he has won, at a time when his finances are stretched to their limits, he believes that all will be well.

However, with the winnings, we also learn the real basis of each of the characters involved. Such as Marcus, Tobias' best friend, who requires money to keep his business afloat, or Elespeth, who took a chance on Tobias and Simeon when no one else would, or his Aunt Joyce who also needs a loan to keep her music studio open. Everyone has a story and they all want a piece of the winnings that Tobias has won.

After a very serious incident concerning his daughter, Tobias comes to realize that money doesn't buy everything. Family, love and trust are all that matters in life and no amount of money can buy the things that are most important to a human being. Will Tobias be able to remain true to himself and his family, or will the unexpected win fall destroy them all??

I thought the book was a presentable debut novel by author, Lilian Duval. I liked the idea of sharing a story about a family that had won the lottery and seeing the outcome of that situation. I thought the premise to losing his parents was an emotionally charged chapter that would leave anyone feeling for Tobias and his mature decisions concerning his brother's fate.

I loved Simeon and Tobias equally, they were well written and believable in their character traits, they did not deter from who they were originally depicted as, even after the lottery win. I liked the friendship between Marcus and Tobias and how it grew over the years as the two men grew older. Many in life drift away and even though Marcus continued with his college and made a career out of his business degree, working at Lehmans, he never left Tobias behind.

I truly did not enjoy Carmela, I found her to be a lying, conniving, poor excuse for a partner. If it hadn't been for an overhead conversation, she wou

Live To Read

Tobias Hilyer's life was right on track, perfect; perfection rarely lasts. In a horrible twist of fate, he loses both his parents and gains a brain-damaged brother. He drops out of college to care for his poor brother and devotes himself to making do with what he has now. He works straight through to his late thirties and takes on twins that he never really wanted, until he wins the lottery.


He imagines, as one normally would, that this is an incredibly good stroke of luck; little does he know that winning the lottery could rank among the worst things that happened to him. He now has to deal with an immense amount of stress, people asking for money, and constant decision-making. Tobias does handle this new change to his life quite well. The reader will enjoy following his trepidations and new satisfactions throughout the novel.


The characters will keep the reader interested in this story. Tobias is kind, caring, and patient. Carmela is a little impulsive, has her heart in the right place, and sweet. Simeon, Tobias's brother, will interest the reader with his antics and kind exterior. The secondary characters are also fun to get to know.


The plot is one that every person in America has likely dreamed of, winning the lottery. The plot will be the main attraction for many readers. The author plays the plot perfectly and realistically. This book is recommended to young adults/adults who enjoy fiction novels that offer a second chance to the main character.

What would you do if you won the lottery? Would it change who you were?

Tobias Hillyer had a promising future until a car accident claimed the lives of his parents. Abandoning his dreams, he dropped out of college to take care of his orphaned, brain-damaged younger brother. Now in his late thirties, Tobias must struggle to provide for his family, working dead-end jobs that fall far short of the academic career he had imagined.

Then he wins the lottery.

His financial worries eliminated, Tobias anticipates nothing but smooth sailing ahead for himself and the people he loves. But soon he finds that his amazing stroke of luck may threaten everything he holds dear.

Over the peaks and valleys, this uplifting journey will challenge everything we think we know about luck, life, and what we value most.

In the newest novel by Lilian Duval, You Never Know, provides the reader with a very realistic view of what happens when an unexpected tragedy forever changes the life of not only Tobias Hillyer but his brother Simeon. Once a talented cartoonist at 15, their lives are robbed from them during a fateful drive home from dinner which kills their parents and leaves Simeon far from the talented artist he was. Filled with guilt over all the what if's going through his head, Tobias gives up his opportunity at a scholarship to care for his younger brother.

It's a hard luck story but one that could happen to anyone. What you dream of isn't always how life turns out in the end. In this one, just when things couldn't get any worse for Tobias, a lucky encounter helping a blind man out in a subway station which change his life for the better. However sometimes what we think will mean happiness is just a mirage, that money can't buy it, it is what we do with our dreams and family on the inside that makes us happy.

I received this book compliments of Lilian Duval and Pump Up Your Book Tours for my honest review and LOVED it. Dreaming of winning the lottery always seems like it will solve our problems but through this story you can see that it isn't always greener on the other side of the fence. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has ever dreamed of a better life and give this one a 5 out of 5 stars.