Strong for Potatoes

By Cynthia Thayer

Book Overview

Cynthia Thayer's acclaimed debut novel, Strong for Potatoes , is the resonant story of the difficult youth of Blue Willoughby, a remarkable girl growing up in eastern Maine. In a life beset by... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312181876
• ISBN13: 9780312181871
• Release Date: January 1998
• Publisher: St Martins Pr
• Length: 248 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 1.0" x 6.0"

Customer Reviews

Strong For Potatoes - Very moving story

I absolutely LOVED this book. I don't know exactly what it was, but I thought of the characters for days! I almost wish someone would make a feature film about it, but there is ALWAYS a chance that the book wouldn't match the film. Sigh. Anyway...I STRONGLY recommend this book!

Blue comes into her own.

This book was fabulous. I couldn't put it down. It's a book about Blue, who is a twin. Her other twin, Berry, died a few days after the birth because she had no brain. Blue seems haunted by the mystery behind Berry as her family never talks about her. This book tells of a girl growing up and finding where she belongs in all this chaos in her life. Blue has an accident when she is a child.....that leaves her missing one eye and other scars and a disability. Her father was responsible for the accident. Her relationship with her mother is strained, because of catching her mother having sex with a friend. The father hides behind his camera.....literally, not able to relate much to any one without using his camera to catch every moment he thinks is worth saving. The only stability that Blue finds is in her Grandfather, a Passamoquoddy indian. He teaches her about life, nature, and passion. He loves her unconditionally. He is her safe harbor, where she can go to ask all the mysteries of life. This book was a narrative of how Blue felt about her life and going through it. You feel like you are right there with Blue during the whole book. Again, this is a beautiful book. You will love it.

Fabulous.

For the first time in my life, I actually cried over a book. Cynthia Thayer created a character so real and so heartwarming, I couldn't help but feel her pain.

Splendid descriptions of Maine coast community

I loved the descriptions of the Maine Coastal area in which this lovely novel is set. One of the opening scenes in which two children look inside a frog still haunts me and sets just the right tone for this book in which a young woman must look inside herself in a variety of ways to find the strength to survive all that confronts her-rape, pregnancy, parental betrayals, etc.-. Through learning ancient Passamaquoddy traditions of basketweaving and learning where her heart lies, she ultimately saves herself. This is a wonderful first novel, and I hope soon to read a second one from Ms. Thayer!

A well-written tale of Blue's triumphs over life's struggles

I really enjoyed this book for it's great writing and the characters of Blue and her Grandfather in particular. Blue struggles with many unusual problems that crop up in her life. She retains her hope, courage and persistence to find passion in her life and follows her dreams. Like life, itself, this book has a bit of everything in it.