Lunch Money

Discover the transformative power of generosity in this poignant and uplifting story by New York Times bestseller J. Ryan Stradal, about a middle-aged lunch lady who receives an anonymous $15 million gift.

Peggy Johnson thought she knew what the rest of her life would look like. In her fifties, recently divorced, with her grown children on opposite sides of the country, Peggy spends her days working as a cook at the local elementary school. Some people think “lunch lady” is a less-than-respectable job; Peggy considers it her duty to make sure every child is fed, even those who haven’t been able to pay. Even if it’s not strictly within the administration’s guidelines.

When the local newspaper starts a new series on “local heroes,” Peggy, to her surprise, is the first honoree. (Her next-door neighbor’s grandson nominated her because she always shovels his grandmother’s driveway.) What is even more surprising, however, is the anonymous $15 million gift Peggy receives several weeks after the article runs. The gift is from a former student, someone Peggy fed when their parents could not, and the request is simple: use this money to continue to help others however you see fit. And buy something for yourself as well.

Set in the pre-digital, post-grunge era of the late nineties, Lunch Money reminds us that generosity is often repaid in ways we don’t expect, and that it’s never too late for a second act. As delightful as it is wise, it showcases J. Ryan Stradal as a writer at the top of his game.