Thar She Blows - by Susan Emshwiller (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Caught in a redundant housewife existence, Ann never leaves her beige suburban home, her schlubby do-nothing son Brian is directionless after graduating high-school, and it looks like nothing will ever change. But when Brian is swallowed by a whale and Ann receives a garbled phone call from him, she is determined to find that monstrous beast and rescue her son. Experts, her ex, the press-everyone thinks she's crazy-but she's committed to her worthy quest. Both Brian and Ann battle their skeptical inner voices in an inspiring journey of self-discovery, reinvention, survival, and sacrifice. As mother and son face epic adventures, they encounter unlikely allies from across the globe and might just find each other. Yet the ultimate danger is closing in...

Devilishly funny, heartbreaking, thrilling, this epic whale-of-a-tale combines absurdist magical realism with intimate family dynamics.

Review Quotes

Susan Emshwiller's Thar She Blows twists the thrill of a whale watching trip on its head. This quirky dry-witted account of one woman's search for her son swallowed by a whale, blossoms into a search for herself. The story's descriptive details struck that sweet spot of believability that readers will never doubt the possibility of life inside a whale. Funny, tender, and uplifting, this journey of discovery is a nonstop, cover-to-cover read, flipping one page after the other hoping, cheering, and breathlessly wondering about the final outcome for mother and son in this suspenseful tale of rescue.

-ANNE ANTHONY, author of

A Blue Moon & Other Murmurs of the Heart

If you are holding this book in your hand, congratulations. If you have chosen to buy this book, chosen from all the books you could have chosen to buy, HUGE CONGRATULATIONS. You are in for a wild and heartfelt ride. What can I say about Susan Emshwiller's writing, except that there is no one like her. She is truly an original.

-NANCY PEACOCK, Piedmont Laureate, author of

The Life and Times of Persimmon Wilson

Susan is afraid of nothing in her writing...Full stop. Hilarious! A mother/son fiasco/journey wrapped in love, grit, and impossibility-be-damned!! I promise you will love this wild ride into the inner workings of one whale and one mother.

-AMY MADIGAN, actor, producer

Susan Emshwiller wears all her hats in this remarkable and satisfying novel. A page-turner adventure, well-researched and exciting, Thar She Blows is equally as strong for its human drama of a mother and son searching for each other and also themselves. Characters so genuine, flawed, funny and true, they win you over to this improbable premise from the first pages. Enjoy the ride!

- GREGG CUSICK, author of

My Father Moves Through Time Like a Dirigible

Remember when you used to get lost in a book, and forget to stop to eat? THAR SHE BLOWS is that book. Susan Emshwiller has crafted a romp of a tale about Ann, a woman defined by the color beige, and her 19-year-old, screen-addicted son Brian. When Brian is swallowed by a whale, Ann escapes both her suburban home and her senses in a valiant and delightful journey to rescue him. Make your meals in advance, because once you start reading THAR SHE BLOWS, you're going to want to keep going straight to the end!

MIMI HERMAN, Piedmont Laureate, author of

The Kudzu Queen