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The first time Leia pulled the lever on the slot machine she hadnÂ’t felt much, other than maybe a twinge of guilt, knowing how much her husband despised any kind of gambling. After all, sheÂ’d just been killing time while nursing a busted leg at the slopes. Several months, thousands of clicks and tens of thousands of dollars later, sheÂ’d long since replaced the rush of adrenaline that came with a win with the roiling realization that sheÂ’d gone too far. The last time she pulled the lever, she hung on for dear life, knowing that without a win, a very big win, her life as she knew it was over.
Format: Paperback
Number of Pages: 320
Vendor: David C. Cook
Publication Date: 2007
| Dimensions: 8.5 X 5.5 (inches)
ISBN: 1589190939
ISBN-13: 9781589190931
Availability: In Stock
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Leia Carlisle can't tell anyone her secret. After a debilitating ski injury, Leia loses her job as an airline pilot and turns to gambling for its empowering adrenaline rush. But the more she gambles, the more Leia thrives on the rush of euphoric wins until her obsession consumes her. If she doesn't overcome this addiction, the game will destroy her family, her faith—and her life.
Melanie Dobson is the owner of the publicity firm Dobson Media and is the author of several books, including Latte for One and Loving It! and Together for Good. She was also the feature writer for the Ford Motor Company's coffee table book titled No Boundaries.
Melanie Dobson is the owner of the publicity firm Dobson Media and is the author of several books, including Latte for One and Loving It! and Together for Good. She was also the feature writer for the Ford Motor Company's coffee table book titled No Boundaries.
In Going for Broke, author Melanie Dobson writes with her finger on the pulse of addictive gambling. Readers will hold their breath as bets are made, will cringe as the consequences deepen, and will ultimately smile as the grace of God pierces through the most devastating of circumstances.
Leia cannot stop pulling the golden handle. She dreams of it in her sleep and works at it in the casino for hours on end when she’s awake. Every time her husband is not near, the whispering promise of windfalls of cash beckon Leia. A former pilot for private trips in her Cessna, Leia was fearless enough to land on cliff tops or plunge through storms. Yet, facing the roulette tables and the slot machines proves to be a danger she cannot beat. The games begin as a hobby, a way of releasing stress, but then they become a way to make some easy money while her husband is away and she is not able to fly. But the odds are on the house and the hobby becomes an addiction.
Going for Broke is an intensely realistic look into the destructive cycle of the gambling addiction. Though the book focuses on gambling, it serves as a realistic portrait of the downward spiral involved with any form of addiction. As Leia falls deeper in debt, she must continue to hide her sin from the women at the local church, not to mention Ethan (her loving husband). The web gets smaller and the stakes get higher until Leia must make a heartbreaking decision. Either she must admit and reveal her destruction to Ethan or continue down a path of ever deepening darkness.
The novel had a way of drawing me in, of slowly reeling me closer and closer to the end that I hoped all along wouldn’t happen. It both thrilled and frightened. It introduced me to characters whom I wanted to reach out to and help. Ultimately, the book educated me, something of which I believe the author would be proud. Going for Broke isn’t a gamble at all as far as books are concerned – it’s an absolute winner. – Lauren Steigerwald, Christian Book Previews.com
Average Rating: 5 out of 5 stars(5 out of 5 stars)
2 of 2 Reviews Showing: 5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Kari Adams (Beaverton, OR), June 12, 2008 This book was quite an education on the addiction of gambling - and how something that could start as something so small turned into something so life altering. Definitely a book to make you think about this gray area in life. 5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Michelle (Arizona), July 08, 2007 Addiction is a difficult thing, and Going for Broke is a fabulous glimpse into the life of a decent person who develops a compulsion to gamble until she no longer recognizes herself. Much like cocaine or heroine, the compulsion will eventually take over and swallow the person whole. The author does a wonderful job of accurately portraying how someone can sink so low and go so far as to being willing to do just about anything for their "fix." The rationalizing thoughts, the desire to be secretive, the withdrawal from friendships and support systems...it's all there.
Like one of the endorsers wrote on the back of the book, this story is addicting. I stayed up late and woke up early until I finished. The tension just kept building and building, but not once did Leia become unlikable. Of course the reader will want her to snap out of it, but the author takes you to the place where you develop compassion for Leia, and that's not an easy thing to do. I didn't get the urge to slap Leia. Not once. I had thought about slapping her husband, though, and beating his friend senseless, but you have to read the story to find out why.
Overall, I'd say that Going For Broke is the best story I've read about the cravings that addicts have for gambling or any other vice. Gambling destroys lives and dignity and this story brings the reader right to the edge with Leia. What I liked best about the story was the honesty. There were no quick fixes, and while God holds people accountable for their mistakes, He will redeem anything and will meet us where we are if we would only trust in Him and not ourselves. I love edgy stories that illustrate how God even uses the muck in our lives to create something beautiful that will glorify Him. Going for Broke did that, and then some. Write a review of Going for Broke
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