I have an e-book reader, so I looked it up: “Mom had her own version of the day I was born, which I never believed, considering she was passed out for the event. Not that I’m any witness, being a newborn infant plus inside a bag. But I knew Mrs. Peggot’s story. And if you spent even a day in the company of her and my mom, you would know which of those two lotto tickets was going to pay out.”

I haven’t read This is Where I Leave, so don’t know how similar it is, but I really liked Demon Copperhead & it fits your criteria - trials and hardship but with some humor.

i took a motorcycle class where they also taught us that second one too: focus on where you want to go, not on what you want to avoid.

i hadn’t considered it in a broader context until your post, but you’re right it works

how dare you question my benevolence. to the pits with you.