Ruthanne Lum McCunn takes an old idea—a person being kidnapped—and turns the story into a rich tale of what people will do in order to survive. God of Luck is told from both Ah Lung’s and Bo See’s points of view. This adds details that would not be understood if the story was told from one person’s point of view. The characterizations of Ah Lung and Bo See are done with intimate details that show the love and affection that they have for each other, an affection that not many people outside the marriage can understand.

God of Luck is based on historical fact, so the setting is very important to the story. It is told in a subtle manner.  The details about life on the boat and what was happening back home are done well. They show their importance to the time, and what people had to endure.